A Different Spark
by firefox157
Summary: AU. What would happen if Gale was from town and Madge was from the Seam? If Madge's father was the head of the mines, and her best friend was Katniss. If Gale was close friends with Peeta, and was the notorious town flirt. How will the two react when their best friends have to leave to participate in the 74th Hunger Games? What will change when their friends return from the Games?
1. Into the Woods

**Hey guys, so you might member me from my old story A Different Time. Well, if you read my last post you should know that I am doing some serious revisions to the story, and I was debating even keeping it at all. I have two reasons for deleting the story; First, I lost my flash drive, plot plans and revisions for A Different Time due to a tornado that ripped through central Illinois on November 17, 2013, and taking part of my house with it. I haven't touched the story in a couple months, and I can't really remember what I was planning to do, so I couldn't exactly go forward with that. And second, I have had an idea for a Gadge story for a long time, and I kinda wanted to focus on that instead. But, over the past few days, I've figured out a way to sort of link the two together. So while the second story will be under revision, this one will be written from scratch! Okay, so I think that's enough talking for now.**

**Enjoy! And please review! :D**

Chapter One: Into the Woods.

It was a struggle every morning to pry my eyes open and wake up. Each day I tried to stay in the world of dreams longer than my body and mind wanted to. Even if those dreams were nightmares, I was convinced those nightmares would be a much better place to live than in Panem. Panem was where I lived, but I would never dare to call it home. Home is a place where you feel safe, and governmental officials actually care about the people they rule over. Home is not a place where children are reaped to fight to the death against other children. Home is not a place where people are starving and no one gives a damn about it, or if they do they don't have the guts to do anything about it. No, this place was definitely not home. I haven't felt at home since I was five years old, before we were forced to leave town and live in the Seam.

A few early morning rays of sun shone through the broken wood of the walls behind my bed. Through slightly open eyes, I could see floating dust particles trapped in the air the light touched. A constant dripping in the corner of the room told me that it had rained last night. I forced my heavy limbs out of my stiff bed, and was meet with the cold chill of the morning, producing goose bumps on my pale skin. After quickly stretching, I got dressed in a pair of dark, worn out jeans, a light blue shirt and a brown cotton jacket. I slipped on my pair of warn, and extremely comfortable, brown boots and walked across the room to place a small bowl under the leak in my roof.

It had been a surprise this morning to not be awoken by my mother's terrible screaming. As the realization dawned on me, I practically ran out of my room to check and make sure if she was alright. As I passed the curtain that acted as a door between my room and living room, I saw my mother still peacefully asleep on the couch. Her short blond hair was disheveled, meaning it had probably been a rough night for her. Ever since she lost her twin sister Maysilee, who was brutally killed in the fiftieth Hunger Games twenty-four years ago, she has barely gotten a full nights rest on her own. I walked over to her sleeping form and gently kissed her forehead, being extremely careful not to wake her. As I turned to the kitchen I saw my father giving me a soft smile as he watched the small scene. He was leaning against our stove sipping weak tea that he must have just finished heating, as small amounts of steam rose up and out of the cracked cup. I went over to him and gave him a small hug.

"Good morning, Daddy."

"Morning, Madge. Are you going to be heading out soon?"

"I was planning on it, but do I need to stay and give Mom her morphling dose?" I questioned. Every morning we had to administer a substantial amount of morphling to my mother. This helped her sleep soundly, but that wasn't the main purpose of the morphling. Eleven years ago my mom became extremely ill, and was only predicted to live for a few months max. Her illness contributed to her nightmares, as well as memory loss, and excruciating pain in her brain and heart, which the morphling helped to subdue. My father shook his head to my question.

"She woke up about an hour or so ago. She didn't scream, but I could tell she was about to. I gave her the medicine a bit earlier than usual." I nodded along with the explanation; it explained why she didn't wake me up. "I was thinking you might like to walk with me on my way to the mines?"

"Sure," I beamed back at him. "Just give me a couple minutes to gather what I need."

My father was John Undersee, a tall and middle aged man with rapidly graying hair that refused to stay on his head, and the head manager of the mines. He grew up in district one several years ago and was offered a job as the Mayor of District Twelve. Doubting his abilities to successfully run an entire district by himself he declined, but was then offered the opportunity to help manage the mines. That offer was one he had accepted. He moved out to District Twelve about twenty years ago, where he meet my mother in town. My mother always says that it wasn't love at first sight for her like it was for dad, but she finally accepted his request to go on a date, and she gradually fell for him. Just thinking about the story of them falling in love makes me smile, I love the fact that they fought for their love and took the time to know if things would work before they rushed into anything serious. It warms my heart that their story is of true love, something worth fighting and waiting for. It's the same kind of love I hope to have someday. After three years of courting my mother, the two of them finally got married, and a year later I was born.

After grabbing a little bit of fruit and a partial loaf of stale bread, I went back to my room to grab my old tan messenger bag, and pulled my wavy blonde hair up into a high ponytail. I took a moment to stand in my room, trying not to remember how we used to live in town. Because my father was a manager of the mines and not an ordinary worker his salary was much more substantial than others. We were able to live comfortably in town; we actually lived better than most of the shopkeeper families. But then my mother got sick. At first the medications weren't too expensive, but then her illness began to rapidly progress. In order to pay for the proper medication, we were forced to move to the Seam. For the past eleven years, the majority of my father's paycheck contributes to the payment of eight morphling vaccinations per week. The expense has left us with a very small amount of money to use for living.

I tried to shake the memories of my family's past out of my head as I walked to the door where my father was waiting.

"Ready to go, Madge?" I nodded in response as he opened the door and stepped out of our small house. I paused as I was going through the door frame. I looked back over my shoulder, and gave my mother a small good-bye, followed by an "I love you" before stepping out of the house fully and shutting the door.

I had to jog a few steps to catch up with my dad, who smiled at me and gave me a hug from the side. As we walked I asked him about how the mines were going, I could tell that something was getting stressful for him, and I figured it had to either be my mother or the mines. I asked about the mines because neither one of us like to be reminded on my mother's decaying condition. I watched as his smile faded soon after I asked the question.

"It's becoming rather stressful. They miners deserve much more pay than what they receive, but no one will give me any money to raise their salaries. I have to be under evaluation by one of the President's advisors for a few more months in order to prove that I deserve my position. And one of the worst parts is that they expect me to create a purposeful, but look-like-another-measly-accident, mine explosion. I can't do that knowing how it affects the people involved, but I can't lose my weekly earnings either. I've been trying to find a way to make it happen without anyone getting hurt, and soon, or else I think this advisor might do it for me." His voice gradually became lower and lower until I could barely hear it, but miners were beginning to create a group around us as we were headed to their work. I didn't get the chance to respond to my dad since a few miners joined up with us and distracted him from our conversation with their own questions about work. I wasn't insulted by the slight intrusion as they all had valid questions, but at the same time I couldn't help but feel hurt by my father so easily ignoring me.

It only took a few more minutes to get the boulder close to the mine entrance. This marked the spot where I had to go a separate way to get into the woods. I gave a quick glance to my dad, who caught my gesture and nodded. I smiled, and began to run to the direction of the dried up ravine. I stayed cautious as I crossed over the small path on the top of the reservoir. Once in the shelter of the trees I looked over my shoulder to make sure no one was following me or saw me. I have yet to see a pair of wandering eyes; this thought alone brought a smile to my face. I took about twenty steps to get to the fence, threw my bag over, checked behind me one more time, and then began climbing the fence. Katniss prefers using a hole under the fence, but I love the small adrenaline rush of jumping off the top of the fence.

I landed crouched on the ground in a form that took me several months to perfect. Grabbing my bag and slinging it over my shoulder again, I began taking a beeline path for the tree in which I hid my roll of knifes. As I dug the fabric roll out of a hollowed out tree, I noticed that Katniss' bow was already gone, meaning I was later than I thought I was. I tied the piece of fabric around my lower forearm, and unsheathed one of the small knifes just in case. These knives once belonged to my parents when they lived in town, but in the Seam they seemed practically useless, so they tried to get rid of them. I remember digging around the small gully behind our house for them a few years ago. When I first began going into the woods with Katniss I could only gather fruits and nuts because I had never wielded a weapon before. It took me about a year to fully master throwing knifes with precision and accuracy. I remember the frustration and anger that first came with trying them, but I never gave up at it; and by doing so, my first bull's-eye sent an excited jolt of adrenaline through my body, making all the hard work worth it.

Technically being out in the woods like this is rather illegal, especially if you are a hunter like Katniss or I. The Mayor of District Twelve is a corrupt drunk; it's a down right miracle he hasn't been kicked out of office yet. It surprised me he hasn't reported us to the Capitol yet, but then again we do have our agreement. We work a little for him, grab him certain groceries, like liquor from Ripper at the Hob, and do a few other errands for him, and in exchange he lets us do whatever we want. The rest of the district just turns a blind eye to our law breaking. After all, it's the only way we can keep our families fed, and we aren't the only ones who benefit. Katniss sells turkey to the head peacekeeper and squirrels to the baker. I sell berries and birds to the launders of the town and rabbits to the jewelers. The rest we trade at the Hob, an old coal storage building that has long since been abandoned, or to a few others in town.

I walked silently through the woods, trying not to disturb any animals or make them run away. It took me a few minutes until I found my usual hunting spot. I crouched low to the ground and waited, listening for even the smallest movement. I heard a few bushes around me begin to move, but the wind wasn't strong enough to do that today. A smirk grew on my face, as I turned and took aim, throwing three knifes; two of them hit a couple of rabbits square in the chest, and one piercing through a bird's heart. I had a forth in my hand, ready to release when I turned and was met with an arrow aimed at my head. Both of us paused, and the silence quickly filled with laughter from both of us.

"Are you trying to poke my eye out like you do with all those squirrels, Kat?" I joked, as I put the knife in my hand back in its fabric sheath. Our friendship is one that many people wouldn't expect. From outer appearances we look exactly opposite from one another, but personality wise, we were actually very similar.

"Are you trying to pierce through my heart?" The brunette retorted, lowering her bow. I got up to retrieve my kills from the ground. "I was beginning to think you weren't going to show."

"Yeah, sorry about that, I got a bit held up at home." I shrugged. Katniss has known about my mother's state for about seven years. The two of us became rather good friends when we were nine. We were in the same class and they two of us would pair up for everything. When her dad died in a mining accident I would try to save half my food for her, but it wasn't enough. It took a couple weeks for her to start hunting, and then she decided to start taking me along with her. I think the hunting only made our friendship even stronger. "So, anyway, how's Prim doing?" I decided to ask, trying to lighten the mood.

"She's okay, I guess. She keeps waking up in the middle of the night due to nightmares of the reaping."

"Oh yeah," So much for that lightening the mood, "I forgot she's old enough to be reaped, but think about it this way, she has one slip there's absolutely no chance she could get picked out of thousands of names." I tried reassuring her.

"I keep telling her that, but she's one hundred percent convinced it'll be her. It's only one out of thousands." Her voice trailed off. I felt bad for her; unlike me Katniss has a younger sibling to look after, whereas I only have my parents. I'm sure that without me, they would be able to live off the remainder of my dad's paycheck. But at Katniss' house, she was the main provider. If Prim is reaped I know she would volunteer, and then what would happen to the rest of the Everdeens? She doesn't even have to ask that question, because both of us know the answer. If she got reaped or went into the Games for Prim I would help provide for her mother and sister, and I know she would do the same for me. "How many do you have now"?

I froze for a few seconds. When was the last time I counted how many slips in that bowl have my name on them. "I think twelve." That sounds about right at least. "And you?"

It takes her no longer that a second to respond. "At least fifteen by now." At that the two of us dropped the conversation, not wanting to dwell on something so somber.

The rest of our hunting trip is spent distracting us from the upcoming reaping. We chat and gather berries, we take turns taking down animals, and we make jokes about Effie's hair, and the ridiculousness of the Capitol and their fascination with colors. At the end of the day we sort the animals and split up to sell to our different clients in town, and giving a time to meet each other back at the Hob when we finish. When I get back into the district one thought haunts my mind, one that makes my stomach knot and twist. The reaping for the seventy-forth Hunger Games is tomorrow.

**And ta-da first chapter done! I hope you enjoyed reading this. :D Please review, favorite, and/or follow. I'll try to update ASAP, but I'm not sure when the next chapter will be done, I'll try to make it within the next one to two weeks. Any constructive criticism is greatly appreciated and if you have any suggestions just let me know! Thanks for reading; hopefully I'll have something new for you to read soon!**


	2. A Day in the Life of District 12

**Hey guys. So, first thing's first, I would love to thank Catlover343, downcameablackbird, iheartliamhemsworth, and tworoadsdiverged for following my story! And also I send a thank you to Catlover343 (once again) and Future light for the story favorites! I think the response for my first chapter of A Different Spark was more successful than the fifteen chapters of A Different Time that I uploaded. Anyway, I had a break between writing my English term paper (about The Hunger Games nonetheless) and researching doctor assisted suicide for a debate in sociology… sounds like a fun time right? So I decided to go ahead and write some more of my story! While I greatly appreciate the follows and favorites, I would really love some reviews to start coming in so I know how I'm doing, and if you want to give any suggestions or anything I'm open to all ideas!**

**Quick note: it will probably be rare for me to update this soon, but I had time this week and was excited to continue my new story. **

**So, I'm shutting up now, I hope you enjoy!**

**(Quick disclaimer: I forgot to do this in the first chapter, but I own nothing from The Hunger Games, the only things I have rights to are my own characters and the idea.)**

Chapter 2: A Day in the Life of District 12.

After Kat and I split up at the fence, the thought of tomorrow's Reaping kept gnawing at the back of my mind. If I was lucky, I could complete a single thought without it drawing me back to the Capitol oriented event. The thought continued to peak and pry its way out of any corners of my mind I used to try and suppress it. No matter how hard I tired I couldn't shake it out of my head (and I probably looked like an idiot when I actually tried doing so twice while walking into town). Maybe I was just having pre-reaping jitters and it was all for nothing, my number of slips in the reaping bowl did go up by three once again this year. The odds were not turning in my favor- or in anyone's if they were from the Seam. Since crossing back over the fence, all my surroundings had a sense of eeriness to them. It was almost as if the district itself was trying to tell its occupants that something was coming, and that something was definitely not good.

Even though Katniss and I had spent a large portion of our morning out in the woods hunting, it was only mid-morning. Several shops throughout town opened less than an hour ago, or were in the process of opening. The drug store, the cafe that only townspeople and the mayor's family could afford, the shoe makers shop, the lauder mat, and the peacekeeper station- all had a later start in the day than the mines and the bakery. And of course, there were those select few buildings that opened in the middle of early and mid-morning; the old clothing shop, the doctor's office, and the jewelry store. It was only a matter of hours until I had to go to the launder mat for my work shift, but first I had to make a few trades, meet Kat at the Hob, and check on my mother one last time before my dad gets back from work.

I decide to make my first stop at the lauder mat. This old building on the far edge of town is one place I always hate going into. Even though I work for the family, I despise the place, and its owners-the Cronins. The building is barely standing on its own foundation- it has to have two long stakes of wood to support the weight of the structure. The walls were once a light green color, but now they're covered in a thick layer of dust, cobwebs, and dirt. If I had the choice, I would work anywhere else in town, as long as it wasn't this dump hole. If only it were that easy I mentally sighed. I needed this job, even though the pay is small. Besides, almost every business in town is family owned, and the Cronins were the only ones who would accept outsider help. The couple is on the elder side, with black teeth, baggy and wrinkled skin, along with graying hair and accompanied by horrible personalities. They can't stand anyone-including their own children- and it's a miracle alone that I was accepted to work for them. My work mainly consists of doing tasks that they can't physically or mentally do anymore. No matter how hard I try to enter the building and trade, I can't bring myself to go into the building any more than I have to today. So instead of walking in and making the transaction, I use a trick I learned from Kat. I set three rabbits on the doorstep and walk away after knocking on the wooden doorframe. One of them will see my blond hair as I walk away and they can just add the money for my trade in with my paycheck later in the week.

As soon as I distance myself from the old building, I slow my pace to take smaller steps and enjoy the brisk, and slightly cool, morning. I look through the transparent window/wall of the bakery to see Kat trading her squirrels for a few loafs of bread. One of the baker's sons, Peeta I think it is, watches the transaction, keeping his eyes intently locked on Katniss' form. I make a mental note to later tell her to be wary of the youngest Mellark boy. Kat takes a while, as she makes conversation with other two, and I see a few smiles every now and then from all three. I smile too, happy that Kat is finally making an effort with other people. After her dad died she shut people out, not in a way as dramatic as her mom, but still she doesn't smile around people often. Being hunting partners with someone leads to a close-knit friendship- after all, you have to trust the other with your life, literally. This gave me my best friend back, but even now she's still different. She's quiet, and holds her tongue as to not insult people, she rarely smiles and she never makes conversation with anyone she's not close to, unless she's the one to make the effort. Katniss may have changed a little bit, but we were still as close as sisters, hell, I even treat Prim like a sister. I think one thing that keeps my friendship with Kat so strong is that we both know what it's like to not have a mother. After news about my mom was leaked and we moved to the Seam I would get pity looks all the time. So many people took pity on me, but no one- not even those in my grade tried to console me. Mr. Everdeen and my dad became close friends through work, as my dad was the manager of Mr. Everdeen's work crew back then, and the two shared several viewpoints on the mines and the district. I remember there was a time when Kat and I despised each other for years, and the next thing I know, we're laughing with each other and practically attached by the hip. When Mr. Everdeen's work crew died in the mines she was devastated, she tried shutting me out for a few days, but I refused to let her. I knew what the feeling was like, or I knew a similar feeling. I consoled Katniss to the best of my abilities and did my best to help her. After she went into the woods and started hunting, our bond became stronger. We both wanted the same thing at that point. Neither one of us could stand the pity looks or the apologies, but we had what we had wanted all along, someone with mutual understanding. I think that alone kept the two of us sane up 'til now.

My feet continue leading me to the Jeweler's shop as I remind myself to ask Katniss about her conversation with the baker at the Hob. The jeweler's is only about a block from the bakery, so I'm at the store front in little to no time at all. The light fragments reflecting off the jewelry in the front window caught my eye, and my breath caught in my throat. The designs were breathtakingly beautiful as always. The complexity of the linking pieces, the shine of the precious metals and stones always intrigued me. I remember staring at this window for what seemed like hours when I was little, and it seemed as if the intertwining patterns and loops only got more graceful and stunning as the years passed. If I could ever choose a job in town, it would be at this store.

I knew better than to kid myself with imagining what it would be like to own some of the pieces in Stonerick's collection, but I couldn't help admiring them. Being from the Seam, you don't really seen anything polished and shining, only once in a blue moon do you see jewelry pieces. No matter how much I loved and admired the magnificent works of art, I knew I could never afford any of them. My mom sold most of her jewelry when her medications became expensive in a last resort for us to stay in town. But the money we got for her collection was never close to being enough, and our last resort had failed us. We were able to save a few very small family heirlooms from my mother's collection. As I had always had a fascination with the artwork, I made sure to have a few pieces on constantly- a small silver pendent attached to a long silver chain and a braided band of various metals on my right wrist, accompanied by a couple hair ties. When my family lived in town, my mother made sure my ears were pierced so that I when I inherit her diminished supply of earrings I would be able to wear them. I found my hand wondering up to the small hole poked in the flesh of my earlobes. It's been a few months since the last time I wore any earrings, and I was surprised to find that the holes hadn't healed over yet.

I lost track of time as my eyes were glued to the jewels, but I must have been gawking for several minutes. Through the glass I could make out the outline of the shopkeeper watching me. I swallowed the lump that threatened to form in my throat. The owner was standing several feet from the door, and then began walking towards me. I half expected to be shooed away by the owner without trading my haul, like most shopkeepers in town would do. However, Mr. Stonerick wasn't like most town shop owners. The store door opened to a middle aged man with dark brown hair, and light gray eyes with tiny flecks of blues and greens. The man was probably over six feet in height, with a larger quantity of muscle than most men his age, and throughout town I knew he was considered extremely handsome. Over his regular clothes he wore and old smock that had been singed at the edges, most likely burns from hot coals and tools while melting certain metals.

I felt my body relax as I took two steps into the shop and was engulfed into Stonerick's arms, in a warm embrace he liked to call a "fatherly bear hug". As he pulled back I could see a warm smile spread across his face.

"I was starting to wonder if you'd ever show up, Madge." He teased with undertones of humor laced in his words. He had a large booming voice, although, it was slightly raspy- probably from being near fire and smoke so often.

"I'm sorry, Mr. Stonerick, I had a few other deliveries this morning and I got a bit, uh, distracted." Even as I spoke my eyes wondered around the room, taking in all that I could from the valuables on the shelves around the perimeter of the room. I could swear I heard Mr. Stonerick chuckle as he saw my ever-changing line of sight.

"Ha, I think I noticed your distraction. And for the last time, stop being so formal with me, go ahead and call me Rick. The title of mister makes me feel so old." He shuddered and groaned after the last sentence as if to add extra emphasis on the thought. "Well then Madge, what do you have for me today?"

I reach into my gab to pull out the four birds I managed to nab this morning, when a sense of dread overwhelms me_. I'm such a complete idiot_, I scold myself. I also pull the small sack of berries out of my bag. The sack I was supposed to give to the Cronins. I hang my head, appalled by my amateur-like mistake. I'm sure that if I had just walked into the lauder mat I wouldn't be facing this problem right now.

Rick reaches for the bag, a hint of hesitation and also curiousness in his actions. He takes the fruit and it takes him a few moments to identify them. "These are strawberries and blackberries, right?" My head lifts up, surprised, but I'm also hopeful that maybe this wasn't a total loss. I nod in response. "I don't think I've had any of these since before I was married." His voice trails off and as he walks over to the cash register I feel disappointment, as I now know he won't take them. "What do you want?"

"What?" It slips out before I can control my thoughts. I'm shocked by his question.

"Hm, how would six for the birds and five for the berries be?"

I swear my jaw hangs open for years in response to his words. Three coins would allow me to buy a fresh loaf of bread, with nine I could afford to buy two entire outfits at the clothing store, and here, Mr. Stonerick was offering me eleven for a few birds and some measly berries.

"Really Mr. Ston- I mean, Rick, I really don't see how so little-" I try to finish my thought but he cuts me off before I can. He goes to pick up yet another coin to put in the small pouch with my payment.

"Ah, yes. I suppose that is a bit cheap considering the fine condition both are in." His hand moves to place more coins in the pouch, but my reflexes are faster and I stop his arm from moving any farther. He looks at me in shock at first and then a small smirk finds its way to his facial features.

"Thank you, really. But eleven is too much as it is. You need money too, and just a payment of seven or eight would be sufficient enough." I try to say as politely as possible, considering the fact that I hate when people underpay, and I hate it even more when they over pay. It only reminds me of those pity looks.

"Madge, I am your customer. If I say that I believe that a few items you are selling are worth eleven coins, then that is how many I will pay." His tone is a mixture of seriousness and determination, as well as the jolliness his tone always contains.

"Fine." I decide to settle with it. I know from experience that Rick is willing to haggle until his end in order to negotiate the price he wants. I release his wrist and he places the few extra coins in his hand back in the register. He pulls the string of the pouch shut before handing it over to me.

"It was nice doing business with you today, Madge. Maybe next time you come to trade I can show you some new pieces I've been experimenting with." My head lifts up from looking at the pouch in my hand, and I swear I can feel my heart flutter with excitement at his offer. We make a small amount of small talk as I walk to the door, slowly exiting the building. Mr. Stonerick has been like a second father figure to me for several years. Soon after I started hunting and making trades throughout town Stonerick caught me throwing my bag over the fence. I remember being terrified that he would report me to the head peacekeeper, but at that moment I couldn't even move I was so fear stricken. I remember his words, that he wasn't a threat to my adventures in the woods. Before I knew it, he was jumping the fence. He told me the most precious metals he used, weren't even in the district. If any Capitol advisers ever caught suspicions of him illegally gathering metals and jewels he would direct them over to a gorge by the Seam. It was an area close enough to town to save him from being caught, and he threw old or bad pieces he had gathered down the gorge to make his claims more believable. I've only seen him in the woods a few times over the past five years, but I remember watching him scale the fence, and soon I tried to copy his actions. It took several attempts for me to make it only a few feet off the ground. The memory brings a smile to my face as I leave the shop, hollering a farewell over my shoulder to Mr. Stonerick.

I can hear the bell ring behind me as the store's door shuts behind me. As I turned my head to take one more look at the display window of the shop as I walk by, I ran into a large form walking in the opposite direction. I land on the ground, positive that my butt will be sore for a few days after this. The sun decides to shine down right in my eyes and I can only see the silhouette of the person I ran into. The form begins to bend down so their-his eyes are on the same level as mine. I take a few seconds to observe small things about this boy. He has brown hair, it looks like it was dark once, but has lightened due to large amounts of sunlight, and light grey (almost blue) eyes. His build is large and broad- his skin has an olive tone. If I didn't know any better I would assume he was from the Seam.

He stays crouched down, almost hovering over me, for a few moments, as if he's taking in details about me just as I did with him. He lets out a small scoff and starts to straighten himself out. As he speaks, his voice seems to flow as smooth as honey, or at least it would, if he didn't practically insult me.

"I think you need to watch where you're going in the future." His voice seems familiar, but I can't place it. His tone is teasing as he tries to stifle a chuckle. The boy reaches his hand out to help me off the ground, and I all but swat it away. Instead of taking his help, I push myself off the ground using my palms, and quickly wipe them off on my jeans. A few small berries rolled out of my bag, and I'm quick to squash them into the ground before the boy notices.

"Sorry, I wasn't paying attention." I half-heartedly apologize.

"Well, yeah I assumed so." He chuckles again, which make me want to slap the smirk off his pretty boy face. That's it. It instantly clicks in my head- this boy in none other than the _famous_ and _notorious_ flirt of the town, Gale Hawthorne.

I retort before I can hold my words back. "Well, you know what they say about assuming, it makes and _ass_ out of _you_." He seems a bit taken aback at first before the smug smirk fades from his lips, being replaced with a small scowl.

"I know you, you're that Undersee girl aren't you?" Oh great, so he knows my name now, "Wait, don't you live in the Seam? What are you doing here?" I feel my eyebrows rise, as I'm thoroughly appalled by this boy now, just from that one comment. "No, I didn't mean it- I mean if you're from the Seam you can't afford any of this stuff."

"Well, pardon me for harmlessly looking and admiring someone's hard work." I cross my arms. I watch as his gaze follows, eyes widening as he notices the metal on my wrist. Gales arm shoots out to clamp down on my forearm before I can pull it back.

"Where did you get this? Is that why you were running out of the shop, didn't want to get caught committing theft?" His words are full of venom and it feels as if I've literally been struck across the face.

"For your information, pretty boy," I yank my arm out of his grasp, and use just as much venom in my words as he did, "I was having a conversation with Mr. Stonerick. And yes I'm from the Seam, but just because you know where I live don't even think you know the kind of person I am. Not everyone from the Seam is desperate enough to steal, much less from the owners here. Maybe if you opened up your eyes and realized there's more to people than the stereotypes you heard whispered around your sheltered little town area, you would realize that you can't judge a book by its cover." I begin to storm away from the storefront, not looking back to see Gale's reaction. I lift my wrist into the air so he can clearly see my metal bracelet. "This was my mother's! I can't steal something that already belongs to me." I walk away feeling triumphant, not even bothering to be concerned by the looks of other townspeople who witnessed my little rant. One of the people staring is none other than Peeta Mellark, but his eyes a filled with more than shock. Probably resentment, as I just told off his best friend, but when I get a better look, they're filled with a certain laughter.

The rest of the day goes by uneventful compared to what happened this morning. Although, I can't say my morning dispute caused me to be in a cheery mood for the rest of the day. When I get to the Hob only a few people ask me about my rant at a town boy. Kat and I eat and discuss a few small subjects before we both head home. When I get to my house, my mother is drifting in and out of consciousness. She asks me about my day, I tell her about most of it but make sure to omit the part about my town rant. She tries making more conversation, but she can barely get one full sentence out. I feel so bad for her, because her eyes are lit up and she looks like she has a billion things to say, but can hardly say one. I smile and kiss her forehead again before she nods off into her slumber. As I move through the curtain to get to my room I her a faint whisper.

"I wish you would visit me more often, Maysilee." And it feels as if I've been stabbed in the heart by one of my own knifes.

**Aaaannnd, there's chapter two! I hope you guys enjoyed it, and tell me what you think! I want to get 5 reviews before I write and upload the next chapter, I think you guys can easily do that! All you have to do is tell me what you think, and what I should improve on, it's that easy. Anyway, hope everyone has a great weekend. See ya! **


	3. Reaping Day

**Hey guys. Sorry I didn't update sooner, I had finals, but now I'm on Winter Holiday, so I have free time! Woohoo! Okay, so first off I'm sending a mega thank you to my three reviewers Jasmine, Tania, and Amintah, you guys are awesome. And to answer your question Jasmine, I'm not sure**_**. How would all of you guys feel about having an alternating POV in this story?**_** Leave a response in a review, along with what you think of the story. I also want to thank Amintah, GlidingOne, Kendrix D. Brandon, tinaslennon, and TributeandProud for the story favorite/follows. It makes me extremely happy whenever I get an email saying someone followed, favorite, or reviewed my story, so thanks, and keep up the good work!**

**Anyway, please enjoy, remember to REVIEW and give me your thoughts! **

**(Disclaimer: I wish I could be a successful writer like Suzanne Collins, but alas I'm not her, and the only things that belong to me are my ideas and characters. There are a few rewritten scenes from the movie/book and the song **_**Dark Days**_** by the Punch Brothers in this chapter.)  
**

**Chapter Three: Reaping Day**

Bloodcurdling screams awake me from my fitful slumber, and my feet hit the floor running before my mind can even process what is happening. I dart into the front room where my mother always lays, sleeping the days away. Dad is already there, collecting the syringe and serum from the small medical box. I kneel down next to my mother's side, clutching her hand, as she holds mine in a tight death grip. Her face is contorted from the pain and confusion of what is happening inside her body. She lets out another agony filled scream, and I attempt to comfort her, waiting for the needle to plunge into her skin.

"Mom, mom it's okay. You're fine. Dad and I are here with you, we won't let anything happen to you." My mother's attacks have been getting worse over the past few weeks, and all we can do is watch, and wait until the morphling kicks in. It hurts us just as much as it hurts her, but in a different way. It's painful watching her suffer like this, but it's even more painful not knowing if or when her illness will lead to her last breath. I close my eyes, trying to calm myself down as my mother only grips my hand with more force. "Dad," I manage to choke out the words, "Dad, she needs the medicine _now_!" With the sense of urgency dad's hands stop fumbling with the bottle and he fills the syringe.

"Shh, mommy, it'll be okay. We're going to help, dad's gonna take the pain away." As soon as I finish, the needle enters my mother's skin delivering the drug into her bloodstream. It takes several minutes until my mother's hold begins to loosen and her body goes limp and heavy with sleep. I hear my dad sigh in relief next to me, and I let out a breath I didn't know I was holding either. Dad goes back to the kitchen to fix his breakfast and get ready. But I sit with mother, just as I always do, until her eyes droop shut and don't open up again.

I can tell by her relaxed grip and how heavy her body is that she's about to drift away again, under the potent drug's effect.

"Sing to me Maysliee, please. Sing me to sleep." When my mother calls me by the wrong name it doesn't surprise me as much as it did last night, but I can tell dad almost dropped whatever was in his hands as he caught her words. I nod and begin to rack my brain thinking of something to sing to her. My voice starts at barely a whisper as I sing an older tune she used to use to calm me from the nightmares I had as a child.

"_Sister, hide our love away,_

_from the evil we both know._

_It can see us through these dark days,_

_though they seem to darken as I go. _

_Our love will see us through these dark, dark days,_

_sister, 'til it lights the way back home._

_Sister, hide our love away."_

I push back tears halfway through. I didn't bother changing the lyrics from sister as she used to, when she sang to me. But I felt as if it would help ease the pain. I repeat the lines a handful more times before my mother's hand slips out of mine, and I know she's lost in her slumber. I pick myself up of the floor and sprint to my room before my dad can question why mother can't remember my name. I get myself ready for the woods, and soon dash out of the small house. Today is Reaping Day which means that Kat and I will have limited time in the woods anyway, so I try to go with little or no questions asked by dad.

A small amount of weight hanging from my shoulder reminds me of the coins I received from trading yesterday. I take the small pouch out, noting that I still have seven of the metal pieces left. After deciding it's not too early in the morning, I swing by the bakery to grab a small treat that Kat and I can share in the woods.

A small bell chimes as I enter the building, the scent of fresh baked bread wafts through the air and to my nostrils. The younger son, Peeta walks in from the back room, the source of the baking bread. Flour is scattered around his apron, and even on his hair and face. I let out a small laugh at the sight of him, catching both of us off guard, but he seems to recover first.

"Is there something I can help you with, or are you simply here for the amusement of my appearance?" Being someone from Town I would expect him to speak with bitterness in his tone, but he seems to warmly try making conversation. He even smiles and laughs at himself upon seeing his reflection in a display case.

"Definitely the first one, but since you offered up a second option, it may be both now." I joke back at him, returning the smile. I pull out the small fabric sack again and take a couple coins out. "What can I get two of for two or three coins? It doesn't have to be extravagant or anything, something small will work just fine."

His face presses into concentration as he contemplates my request, maybe even trying to figure how I acquired so many coins. Within fifteen seconds Peeta glides around the shop, choosing which delicacies are the best for my circumstances.

"I'm guessing you did a little trading with Stonerick yesterday, right?" The question throws me off track, but I nod at him all the same. "He's a nice guy, always overpays for everything. I guess it's because his main customers are from the Capitol, so that typically generates a nice amount of money."

"I thought people from Town bought stuff from him too." I try my best to not sound bitter, but I don't know how well I did considering Peeta's face cringes at my words.

"Many people think that, but not many actually have to money. The mayor and a few other families from Town, but beyond that, we can't afford too much ourselves." His voice sinks down into a whisper and he leans in as if he's sharing a secret with me, "My family ends up eating stale food from our own shop so it doesn't go to waste, and that way we can save money too." His comment takes me aback, I knew our district wasn't very wealthy, but I figured the struggles ceased after leaving the Seam.

"I.. I didn't realize things were like that around the entire district." I whisper back, a bit unintentionally. Then, an idea sparks in my mind. "Tell you what, why don't you get two of those muffins that are going stale, and I'll take those, save you from having to choke them down." Peeta opens his mouth to protest, but I cut him off before he can. "I'm willing to bet you that it's better than anything I've ever had in the Seam, even if it is stale. I don't care. I just skipped breakfast and I need something for energy as I go… work this morning. It'll be no issue that Kat and I can't handle if they are just a bit stale."

"Madge, I'm not going to make a stale sale. My mom would kill me when she found out."

"_If_ she found out, and I promise I won't be a snitch." For extra measures I set my elbow on the counter and offer my pinky finger up to him. "I promise." He studies my face for a minute, contemplating if he should take the deal or not. "Or, I could just call your mother down right now and tell her you are refusing the order of a paying customer." This gets a laugh out of him.

"Fine, I guess you win. But, I can't let you pay full price, only one coin for the two." This time he shuts me up before I can rebuttal an argument back. "And that is final." He walks to the back shelf, takes off two small muffins, and puts them in a paper sack before handing them off to me. I hand him the one coin he requested. "Thank you for your business." He says with a smile. "You should probably get going- you don't want to be late for your _work _after all." He smirks, and then heads back into the kitchen to check on the bread. Before heading out the door, I set one more coin on the counter-purposefully making a loud clinking sound. And as the bell chimes when I head out the door, I drop one more on the floor.

On my walk to the fence I replay the conversation with Peeta in my head. I knew from my small experience of living in Town that families had quite a substantial amount of money, but I never considered how few those families might have been. My next thought moves to the content of our conversation. I wonder, if under normal circumstances, if our banter would be considered flirting. I know I don't have feelings for Peeta that way, but I do know that he is a friend, and he wouldn't have feelings for me that way either. Our teasing was just simple, playful banter, almost as if he was my brother. I even remember a time when we were like siblings. I push back memories of my time in town as I jump the fence.

After grabbing my knives from the hollowed oak tree and walking several hundred yards. After passing the ever-present and mysterious line of snares (which neither Kat or I dare to touch, we don't know who's they are or if they have more of a purpose than catching game) I spot Kat notching an arrow to aim at a deer. I swear to god she's trying to get herself killed.

"Hey, Kat!" I holler down at her, throwing a knife into the bark of a tree next to the deer. The frightened creature runs off, saving its own life.

"Madge!?" A look of shock is plastered over her face lacing together with anger in her tone.

"What the hell has gotten into you?" I ask. "Did you forget today is Reaping Day? Also known as the day every district is filled to the brim with Peacekeepers and Capitol authorities?"

"It was still the first deer I've seen this year."

"And you'll see more later, but today is not a good day to drag one back into twelve. You know that." Kat lowers her bow and shakes her head. "You know I'm not trying to scold you, but I don't even want to think of what would happen to us if we got caught."

She nods, and we change the subject. We hunt for another hour before we call it a day. Instead of entering the district right away, we prolong going over the fence and sit on top of a small bluff. We eat at the muffins I bought earlier- neither of us are very hungry considering what day it is today. We nibble bits off, but mainly safe the rest for a later time.

Kat sighs and leans back, lying down in the grass, "I'm just ready for today to be over with."

"What color do you think Effie's hair will be this year?" I envision some obnoxious bright, neon color.

"I don't care, as long as it isn't that awful blinding yellow again. I swear I couldn't see right for days after the Reaping last year. How many more years do you think we'll have to put up with her before she requests a different district?"

"I don't know. Hopefully she already transferred. I'm not sure if I can stand hearing her say _Happy Hunger Games_-"

"-_and may the odds be ever in your favor_." We both laugh at our horrible attempts at mimicking the Capitol accent. It's almost as if someone made the dialect to purposefully get under other people's skin.

"I wish there was a way to escape it all. A way to be free of watching kids being senselessly murdered for the Capitol's enjoyment. A way to never have to fear the first day of spring again, or to ever be afraid of starting a family because you don't want to have your child's death televised across the nation." My true feelings toward the Capitol consist of fear and anger, with a touch of bewilderment. How could a society that has so many achievements, find joy in watching innocent people murder and be murdered? How was it possible for them to be so advanced and yet, so primitive?

"That's exactly why I never plan on having kids," I can't count the number of times we've had this conversation before. "or getting married for that matter." Kat adds as an afterthought.

"Oh, so you just go around flirting with the baker's son and you have no feelings towards him?" This takes Kat aback. "I saw you guys in the bakery yesterday. You know, it's nice to know you smile and laugh around someone besides me or Prim."

"There's nothing between the two of us, you know he saved me all those years ago."

"But Kat, have you seen the way he looks at you, the way he watches you as if he's afraid it'll be the last time he can. He looks at you with the same look I've seen my dad give my mom. He truly does care about you- I just don't see why you won't give anyone a chance."

"You know why, he's from Town, and I'm from the Seam. The entire district would be appalled by that fact alone. Besides, what if it didn't work, what if we lost a costumer?"

'_But you don't know unless you try._' I sighed inwardly.

***Time Skip***

Kat and I got back in the district an hour ago, and we only had two more hours until the Reaping. After making a few trades we both went back home. I have to make myself look presentable to the Capitol, meaning I have to scrub every last bit of dirt and grime from my body. Using only our basin of rainwater to do so makes the process longer. About forty-five minutes later my skin is pink from being rubbed raw and is now squeaky clean. I put on the same dress I wore last year. It's a pastel green color with a pleated skirt and capped sleeves. I slip on a pair of brown flat footed shoes, and do my hair. I braid the top half of my hair and tie it into a ponytail, then wined the ponytail into a messy, but classy, bun. I go to move my game bag before the Peacekeepers arrive, just in case they were to find it. I find it still heavy from my coins left from yesterday. I take the small pouch out and empty the contents out on my bed. There are four coins left, but something that isn't a coin falls out too. I pick up the golden circle to find a pin with a Mockingjay in the piece. I recognize the pin almost instantly- it was Maysilee's token in her games. I don't know why, maybe because of sentimental value or something sappy like that, but I pin the jewelry to my dress. I look in the cracked glass of a mirror hanging on my wall- I look presentable, but not stiff or too out of line. I nod at my own reflection, giving myself approval, and then walk out from behind my curtain door. My mother is drowsy, but manages to stay awake. Considering her condition, the Peacekeepers set up a television set in the house for her to watch the Reaping. Despite her sickness being partially caused by her sister's involvement in the Games, my mother is still forced to watch as much as every other citizen. I hope that for my mother's sake I don't get Reaped. The chances of that happening are rather high compared to others, and even though I'm good with knives, I don't think I could stomach having to kill other teenagers in order to come home.

Soon enough the Peacekeepers are at our door, and dad and I have to leave. The walk to the District hall is close to thirty minutes, so we have to leave earlier than most people. As soon as I get checked in I go over to the area designated for sixteen year old girls. I wait for Kat, and I notice her comforting Prim one last time before they both get checked in. I'm at the edge of the sixteen year old area, so I take a second to give Prim a hug as she walks by. I whisper positive phrases into her ear, and even a couple of jokes so that she will lighten up and laugh a little. It seems to work, and as she walks away I see a ghost of a smile on her face.

Kat and I stand next to each other making small talk, both of us are obviously nervous. I look around the sea of teenagers in an attempt to spot any familiar faces. I spot Peeta, who makes eye contact with me a few seconds later. I smile at him and give a small wave, which he then returns. The person talking to him turns around to find where Peeta's line of sight leads to. My stomach knots itself as Gale looks me straight in the eye. His gaze shifts down to the pin on my dress, and I suddenly feel uncomfortable. His gaze then travels back to my eyes, and as much as I try to look away, I can't. His eyes are enticing, even when filled with anger and confusion. The two orbs can't decide which color they wish to take, so it changes between blue and grey, sometimes even green.

The sound of clicking heels across the stage makes both of our heads snap up to Effie Trinket's position above us. She goes through the usual propaganda speech and video before choosing names from the bowls. I freeze as she picks the girl's name.

"Primrose Everdeen."

My eyes widen in shock and before I know it, Kat has left my side and is screaming that she volunteers for her sister. Before I realize what I'm doing, I'm picking up a screaming and thrashing Prim, taking her away from the stage. After delivering Prim to her mother I look back up at the stage. Kat has a look of indifference on her face as she braces Effie's small talk. Honestly, I'm surprised she's holding up so well.  
Only a short sixty seconds later, Effie calls out the boy's name.

"Peeta Mellark." And just like that I feel the air punched out of my lungs. I'm not numb like I was when Katniss volunteered, this time I'm in pain. Too quickly, the two are ushered inside for their good-byes. I find myself running to the Justice Hall. I get in line to see Peeta first, there's no line for him, and this gives Kat some more time with her family. Gale Hawthorne walks out of the room and almost into me. "What are you doing here? It's not like you knew him or anything." The words sting but I'm back to being numb. I run into the room and fling my arms around Peeta.

"I'm so sorry. I'm so, so, sorry."

"Madge, it's fine. I'm okay. I promise."

"No, no it's not. They want you to kill people! They want to take someone as pure hearted as you and turn you into a coldblooded killer." An awkward silence envelopes the two of us as we stand there. "Please, promise me you won't let them change you?" He nods, and I can't help myself, but I have to ask him on other thing. But before I can ask he gives me an answer.

"I'll protect her as best as I can, if you can do something for me."

"What?"

"Make sure my dad doesn't burn down the bakery, or let my mother decorate the cakes." I can't help but laugh lightly at his request, but I agree nonetheless. "And one more thing, help Gale get through this, please. I know I won't make it home, and he'll need someone to help him though my death." I feel tears well up in my eyes, but I refuse to cry. "He's not as stuck-up as he seems. Sometimes he needs a good slap in the face, or a scolding like what you gave him yesterday. He's guarded and doesn't let anyone in, but I'm worried he'll shut everyone out. I'm worried he'll be the one becoming someone he's not."

"I- I'll try my best." I feel horrible, I know I can't keep this promise, but I have to agree. After that Peacekeepers tell me my time is up, and I holler a 'good luck' to Peeta before I lose sight of him. I head toward the room Katniss is in now. I pass by the Everdeens in the hall, and as I do Prim latched on to my side.

"It's okay Prim, Kat is strong, she'll win, and she'll come back to us, I know it." But the small girl still sobs into my shoulder for a good ten minutes before they leave. I'm the last visitor, and I have to make this quick. How dare they rush something like this? How dare they take my two friends away from me?

I run inside the room, giving Kat a quick embrace. "You can do this Kat, you're strong, you're smart, and you know how to survive. I can use a bow- you already have an advantage on the others." I go on and on, telling her things she already knows, she tells me someone already told her all of this. "And one more thing," I try to quickly add before I am forced out of the room by Peacekeepers, "Don't forget yourself, no matter what." I quickly unpin the Mockingjay from my dress and attach it to hers. "They allow you one token in the arena- this was Maysilee's token twenty-four years ago, and I want it to back in with you."

"Madge, thank you, for everything. For taking care of Prim, for the pin, and most of all for your friendship, who knows who I would be if I didn't have someone like you.

"It sounds like your saying good-bye."

"Just in case." She shrugs.

"No, I know you'll come back I have faith in you. I'll take care of Prim and your mom until you come home, I'll do whatever I can to help them out. Anything else, while we are making promises?"

"Yeah, don't have tunnel vision. You can take care of my family and yours, but don't push yourself. You remember who you are, the sixteen year old girl, Madge." I nod, and as I do the door opens. I'm escorted out and just like that Peeta, Kat, and everyone else from the Capitol is gone. The next time I'll see Kat will be during the Opening Ceremonies.

I walk back to my house in the Seam, instead of bawling in eyes out like most people would expect, I'm fuming with anger. Just like that the Capitol took away my friends. It's like how they forced my family into the Seam. Everything they do right not angers me to no end. I hear someone calling out for me from behind, but I pay no attention to whoever it is. I keep walking, and the anger builds and builds, I feel like if I stop and talk to someone, I'll want to punch them in the face.

When I get to my house I enter in the building without saying anything, I just go straight to my room. I take off all of my Reaping clothes, and jump on the bed. I bring the dust covered pillow up to my face and scream. I scream until all the anger is gone. I scream until my voice won't hold out any longer. I scream until I feel sick. I scream until I'm numb all over again.

**Okay, so sorry if this chapter seems a bit rushed. I wanted to touch on the Peeta/Madge friendship and that, but you guys also know the whole reaping story so I kinda went fast through those parts. Anyway, I hope you liked it, and don't forget to leave a review. Let's try for 5 again since last chapter only got 4. **


	4. Off to a Bad Start

**Hey guys, so I know I've posted this Chapter already, but I wasn't happy with the first version, so I decided to go back and edit. Sorry about that, the first version was way too rushed and sloppy, this one I hope will be better, and I hope you enjoy it (I mainly changed the last half, just and fyi). Please remember to leave a review, I want to get 5 reviews again before I update. Just tell me what you think of the story or chapter and if you want, you can ask a question and I will put the answer in an A/N up here at the top. Okay so before you read, I would really like to thank TributeandProud, Jasmine, anonime, GoChlollie, and Jounah for the wonderful reviews. I promise a chapter in Gale's POV will be coming up, I just have to figure out how I want to do it. I also want to thank Bpyxis and Jounah for the Favorites, and taytertarts, TheHalfBloodTribute, Jounah, GoChillie, and Tisha110802 for the follows. You guys rock, and inspire me to continue my writing!**

**(Disclaimer: Once again I dread to inform all of you that alas, I never have and never will own many aspects of this story. The only things that belong to me are my own characters and ideas. Anyway, enjoy.)**

**Chapter Four: Off to a Bad Start.**

I go back and forth between being numb and fuming with anger. The sadness hasn't overtaken me yet like the other two, and I'm beginning to wonder when I'll break down. I feel it coming, but I know it's not here yet. I should be upset, crying my eyes out like I felt I was about to do earlier- but instead, I feel nothing. I feel like an empty shell of myself. I can't scream anymore, I have no energy to do so. I just lie back on my bed and stare at the ceiling. I watch as the rays of sunlight dim and transform into rays of moonlight. I ignore the calls of my dad as he tells me that I need to eat, that I need to do something. But I just stay there, still on my mattress. Eventually he gives up and decides to leave me alone. After hours of trying to drift to sleep, I realize that I have to get out of here. I know that it's late at night, but no matter how hard I try, I can't sleep. I force myself to get out of bed, and my body takes me to the woods. I leave a note for my parents and a filled syringe on the kitchen table. I just can't be here right now. I have to go outside of the district, or else I feel like I'm slowly being suffocated.

The walk to the woods and jumping the fence becomes a blur, and I feel a strike of pain when I reach into the hollowed tree trunk and accidently pull out Kat's bow and arrows. I quickly release them and grab my knives. I feel the anger bubbling up inside me and even as I try to cap it, I can't contain it anymore. I let out yet one scream, and then another. The mockingjays around the forest pick up on my yell and some begin to echo it, causing an eerie absence to become apparent. I walk to the usual hunting spot, but I'm careless in my footwork. I trip over several fallen branches and logs. I stumble and trip along the route. Eventually, I make the idiotic mistake of landing my foot in one of the mysterious snares. I feel my body lift up, my head smashing into the hard forest floor. My ankle throbs from the metal digging into my flesh. I curse myself for not paying close enough attention to avoid this. I try to curl the upper portion of my body up to untie the wire from my foot, but it only causes the metal to sink farther into my flesh, and I let out a small howl of pain. Tears fill my eyes from the pain in my head and foot. I try to clear my mind and aim for the wire where it is attached to the tree, so the wire will release me and I can be on my way. My first three attempts fail, and I get lucky on the forth. My lower half slams into the ground with a loud thud, and I let out a small whimper of pain. I get myself together, and gather my knives once again.

Moving over only a few yards, I begin to chuck the sharp weapons at a tree trunk. I have to get my anger out before I explode. Every throw is accompanied by a thought in my head. 'Why did this happen?' Thud. 'Why does it have to be Kat?' Thunk. 'It could have been me instead, and it should have been me instead.' Hit. 'I wish it was me.' Clank. 'I wish I would have volunteered before Kat had the chance to.' Thud. 'I wish my name was the one called.' Thud. 'I wish none of this ever happened.' Thunk. 'I wish neither Peeta nor Kat had to suffer like this.' Thunk. 'I wish this entire thing was a nightmare.' Miss. 'I wish the Hunger Games were never created. I wish the Capitol was extinct. I wish Panem never existed. That the disasters had never happened and that we didn't live in the ruins of an old country.' But that's all they are, wishes. Empty wishes that will never come true, because that's the way life works in Panem. No one gets the happy ending. Even if you win the Games you have to face the reality of what you did in order to gain the title.

I continue to assault the tree with my knives, venting out any and all anger left in me. Soon there is only one knife left, and as I go to throw it, my fingers seems stuck to the small metal object.

That's when the dam breaks. The only thing holding back my tears was the anger I felt, and now, all of that anger has dissipated. I crash down to my knees and sobs rock through my body. I can't see anything as my vision is blurred with the water droplets. I curl into a ball and let myself sob. I allow myself the chance to be vulnerable, to show weakness when no one is watching. I finally allow my walls to crash down in the privacy of the woods, and cry until there are no more tears left.

***The Next Morning***

I awake to rays of sunlight dancing down through the trees and on to my face. I would have thought yesterday was just a nightmare, but then my mind recognized the woods that surrounded me, and I came crashing back into reality. Judging by the sun's position in the sky, right now is the normal time I would be in the woods with Kat. That means I probably fell asleep at some point in my hysteria, but it's all blurred together. My anger and numbness has been washed away, as well as my sorrow for losing Peeta and Kat to the Games. All of those emotions have been sidetracked, and a feeling of determination has overwhelmed me. Right now there is only one thing I can think about, what can I do to help the two of them, all the way from twelve? But, no matter what I come up with, I have all day to come up with ideas before I can put them to any use. After all, I have to make my morning trades before I go to school.

I stretch my arms above my head and begin to push myself off the ground when I notice a small blanket draped across the lower half of my body. I know for sure I didn't bring a blanket with me. And the next thing I notice my knife sheath is filled with all the knives I used to vent my anger last night. I have no memory of picking up my scattered knives after throwing them at the tree. My gaze shifts up so I can see the multiple marks I made in the tree, giving evidence that all the events of last night did indeed occur. '_Where did this blanket come from? And who packed up my knives for me?' _These two questions disturbed me, as it meant someone knew of my trips into the woods. If it was Stonerick then I have nothing to be concerned about, but if it was someone I didn't know, why were they out here in the first place?

I try to push the questions aside, and focus on retrieving a substantial haul, from now on, I no longer have to worry just about my family, but the Everdeens as well. And I make a mental note to stop by the bakers later in the day to see how they are holding up. As I walk around the woods hunting, I have to be careful not to limp from the cuts on my ankle.

After an hour I return to the District, making my first stop at Stonerick's shop. The bell dings just as it always does as I enter the building. This morning Stonerick's wife is behind the counter.

"Oh, Madge." She says as she rushes to me from behind the counter and envelopes my body in a comforting hug. I feel yet another pang in my heart- craving a mother's comfort which is something I know isn't available at home considering the circumstances. "How are you holding up, darling?"

"I'm okay. Could be better, could be worse. But I have to- I have to keep going, I won't just give up, I can't." My voice is shaky and soft spoken. But I try to reassure her by offering up a small smile. That smile is one she returns, but her eyes are still full of concern. "Anyway, are you up for a trade this morning?"

She lets out a small chuckle. "Well, what do you have for me today, Madge?" Rather than giving her a verbal answer, I pull out a few birds and a sack of berries I collected for them. As she collects the money from the register I also pull the, now folded, blanket out of my bag.

"Does this blanket belong to your family?" I ask while offering it up to her for further inspection. "I found it in the woods this morning, and I wasn't sure how it got there. I was wondering if Rick was out this morning or last night and maybe left it. Otherwise I have no idea whose it could be."

She nods, and I let out a held breath in relief.

"I didn't know Rick went out last night or this morning, but then again he could have snuck out while I was asleep. He knows I'm not found of him risking himself like that, especially right after Reaping Day." I'm not sure how to respond to that, considering I was in the woods most of the night, so I just stand there quietly until she hands me my payment. "There should be three coins for the berries and six for the birds."

"Thank you, Mrs. Stonerick. I really appreciate your business."

She returns my thanks with a small smile and a nod of her head. "Anytime Madge. Don't be afraid to visit if you need someone to talk to, or a place to escape everything." And at that she busies herself with her work behind the counter again.

After leaving the Jewelers, I make various other stops around Town to make trades and then head off to school. I gather a few textbooks and sheets of paper from my designated locker in the hallway before I make my way to class. It's strange to be walking these halls again without the comforting presence of my close friend. Our conversations don't fill the air and give this institution a sense of familiarity anymore. Instead the building feels cold, and foreign, as if it has been transformed into a completely different place than what it was last week. Classes pass by in a blur, and I can't even force myself to concentrate. Usually I have no issues being interesting in what the teacher is saying. My mind may wonder off and on, but I always absorb the teacher's words. Today is different though. My mind is focused on the Opening Ceremonies tonight rather than classwork. Time passes at a snail's pace and at the speed of light at the same time. It seems as though I still can't manage to wrap my head around the reality of yesterday. Everything is different, just because of one small piece of paper.

The bell sounding for lunch causes me to jump. And I slowly make my way to the cafeteria, where screens will be replaying all of the Reapings from yesterday. I sit in the usual table that Kat and I occupy on a normal day. It's weird thinking she'll never be here at school with me again. I'm not saying that I think she will die in the Games, but when she becomes a Victor, school will be of no use to her. I feel weird sitting at the table alone, and it's almost as if I'm back to being the friendless Madge I was when I first moved to the Seam_. Almost_, but before I can take the first bite of my lunch another blonde takes place across the table from me. I feel a bit of relief as I recognize the girl sitting across from me, Charm Hain. At first glance you would think we were twins, but when you take a closer look, you see the countless differences. Her eyes are a light green color rather than being a deep blue like mine. Where my hair is curly and golden blonde, hers is straight and light blonde, with hints of light brown undertones. Her build is much different from mine, and she also remains a few inches taller than me. Her skin a few shades darker than my pale pigmentation. The two major differences though, are where we are from, and the fact that Charm is a year younger than I am. Charm is the daughter of the victor of the fifty fourth Hunger Games. He originated from district one and when they were growing up, he and my dad were friends with one another. Hain claims he wanted to move to a less crowded district in order to escape the chaos of district one. It is common knowledge that districts one and two have the most victors, but there is no way they would run out of houses in the Victor's Village. I don't know why he was so keen on moving to the poorest district that is covered in a thick layer of coal dust, but I know it's not from overpopulation.

"Here," Charm says as she slides a small piece of brown desert over to my side of the table. "It's chocolate. It should release some endorphins that will generate happiness, maybe take some of the stress away." I know she means well by her actions, but being from the Seam, I don't see too well to acts of charity, even if they are small and are with good intentions. I shake my head no as I slide the piece back over to her. "Come on Madge, do you really want to eat _that_?" She motions down to the district school regulated food in front of me. It really shouldn't be called food even- the correct term for this substance would be unidentified mush.

I hesitate before accepting the small amount of food. And Charm smirks, relishing in her small victory. "Just this once." I remind her.

"Whatever you say." The friendship between the two of his is only slightly different than my friendship with Katniss. Charm and I used to be extremely close friends when I lived in town, and although her father frowns upon our friendship now, she's been determined to keep the bond between the two of us strong. About once a month or so, Charm will join Kat and me in the woods for hunting, as she loves the freedom of being outside the district just as much as we do. In a way, Charm is like Peeta. Not stuck up from her position in Town, and not having any prejudices toward people from the Seam.

We sit and eat in silence for most of the hour. I can tell she wants to talk about the Reaping, but avoids doing so in order to spare me from talking about it. It's not like it would affect me very much right now, considering they keep replaying the Reapings over and over again in the Cafeteria. I watch and try to pick out who will be a threat. The couple from two will most definitely be a challenge to defeat in the arena, the girl from five looks sneaky, and the boy from eleven looks like a _large_ threat. As soon as I see the little girl from eleven, I'm almost positive Kat will have a soft spot for her in the Games. I watch the screens until I've memorized all of the faces and names of every tribute. When the recording of twelve's Reaping replays and shows Prim's hysteria, I hear a few snickers from a few tables over. I see a group of boys from Town laughing at her reaction to Kat volunteering, and I feel the urge to kick all four of them in a place the sun doesn't shine. As lunch is almost over, the group of Town boys passes us, muttering unpleasant comments under their breath. The moment I hear "-just a lousy Seam rat, she stands no chance. I wonder how the two's will take her out." I practically jump out of my seat, ready to rip their throats out. Looking the leader of the group, Taino I think, straight in the eye.

"You do realize that's my friend you're talking about, right?" My scowl is met with a glare.

"Oh, I forgot Seam rats stick together in packs. What are you going to do when you have to watch your friend slowly die in the arena? Go running home calling to your Mommy for comfort, knowing you can't do anything to stop her death? And even if you tried, you'd never have anything to give to help her."

Within seconds I have Taino pinned to the wall behind my table, my forearm pressed up against his throat. I can feel his adams apple move as he attempts to swallow, probably the fear and shock is what causes this. My entire being is seething in anger, and I have to restrain myself from taking one of the knives off the table. "Don't you ever, _ever_, insult my friend again, while you're too much of a wimp to go into the Games yourself, Katniss will be in there winning. She's stronger than you, and while you would drop dead in the arena as soon as the bloodbath started, Katniss will be coming home. Being from the Seam is an advantage in life. It prepares you for the reality of the world. Whereas in your case, at the first sign of something going wrong, you'll be going home to your Mommy, sucking your thumb like the baby you are." And with that, the bell rings. I release Taino from the wall and walk away with a small and triumphant smirk on my lips. Not only do I think I've proven my point to the privileged Town boy, but his words gave me an idea. I could start a collection pool for Kat- send her money so she can receive gifts in the arena. But before I can think over the details of my plan, my thoughts are interrupted.

"Madge," I hear Charm calling my name from behind. "You know they were just trying to get a rise out of you. You shouldn't have reacted like that. One, you could've been caught by a teacher. And two, people from Town will take that as a threat. You can't just go around pushing people against walls when they insult someone close to you."

"Thanks for the concern Charm, but I was just trying to prove a point." I feel her hand enclose on my arm as she forces me to turn and look at her.

"No Madge, you don't understand, Taino doesn't just walk away from something with his head down. I know him well enough to know how he'll react, and trust me, it won't be pleasant." Once she finishes she scurries back to her class. And I'm left pondering her words. She is right. I can't go around doing that when I hear something I don't like. I'll have to learn to have a thicker skin and not react too rashly.

The rest of the day's classes pass faster than this mornings. I still don't pay attention though. I'm too busy working out the details of the collection pool. I'm sure people will donate at the Hob, and if we put a jar in the Bakery we can even raise some money for Peeta too. At the end of the day, I rush to my locker so I can put my plan to action. But once I remember I have to take care of Prim this afternoon, and the mandatory viewing of the Opening Ceremonies is tonight, I slow my pace. Once at my locker, I place my books back in the metal container and shut the door. And as soon as I do so, I'm greeted with Gale Hawthorne's face.

"Why did you see him? Peeta. Why were you, of all people, saying goodbye to him when you'll be rooting for your friend to kill him and come home?" Once again, Gale addresses me with and accusatory tone.

"Why should it matter to you?" I retort while trying to walk by him. But he grabs my arm, forcing me to stay.

"It's my business because I was just as close to him so you were to that Catnip girl. Only one can come back, and you can't cheer for both of them. Why did you see him?"

"Because, as much as you don't want to believe it, Peeta was my friend too. Unlike _some people, _he didn't see a problem with befriending someone from the Seam. He didn't care that my family wasn't as well off as his, and he didn't accuse me of trying to steal something or having an ulterior motive." I spit out the words, and I have to force myself to stop before I say anything I'll regret.

"Look, I didn't mean anything about what I said the other day, but you don't exactly have the best attitude to judge."

I scoff, "So you still think it's perfectly fine the judge someone without getting to know them?"

His eyebrows furrow, and a hint of a smirk grows on his face, "Are you saying you want me to get to know you better?" I guess no matter what, he'll always be the Town flirt, as well as a jackass.

I laugh, before I can keep it from bubbling out of my throat. "Do you really think that after you have accused me, judged me, and forcibly confronted me that I would even be slightly interested in you? Hell no. If I were you, I would deflate my ego and try not to be so arrogant." With that being said, I turn on my heel and begin to head toward the school for younger kids, the one Prim attends. After taking a few steps I stop and look over my shoulder. I can barely speak above a whisper as I tell Gale one last thing. "And for your information, I'll never root for Peeta's death. It'll be too hard to bear to even watch it. He never deserved this, and I wish there was something I could do to stop it all." And with that I leave.

When I pick Prim up from school I can tell she's nervous about the Ceremonies tonight. The ways she bites her lower lip and doesn't have the same bounce in her step are clear giveaways. After dropping off my money and supplies from trading this morning at my house, I go with Prim to the District square. There aren't very many people there yet, so Prim and I manage to get a couple good spots up at the front. The two of us pass the next hour by trying to distract ourselves of the reality of the situation. We talk about classes and how our days went. Prim's face lightens up when I tell her my idea of the collection pool, and she makes sure that I plan on doing a collection for Peeta as well. Soon after that Prim is busy talking to her friends who have now arrived, and I stand there looking around the crowd. I notice Charm up on the stage in a position beside her dad and brother. She makes a weird face at me before returning to the conversation among her family. As I look around the crowd I also spot a pair of grey/multicolored eyes staring at me. Gale stands across the lot with his friend Thom, whose family owns the restaurant in town. Today his stare doesn't unnerve me like yesterdays, but instead it looks like he's trying to figure me out, watching my every move, calculating. He's probably wondering if I truly meant the words that come out of my mouth.

Before I can think of anything else the Capitol anthem blares around the square. I watch as chariot after chariot roll along the screen. I find myself paying more attention to the elaborate jewels adorning the tributes than the clothing choices. District one is too much to be pretty, and the next two districts have none. District four and district seven both represent an element and their jewels are gorgeous. Four has rocks that glisten as if they are made of water and seven's are rocky, rough, and earthy to represent the trees. Beyond those districts not many others wear anything of interest. But once our districts chariot rolls out Prim grabs my hand, and my heart nearly stops. That is, until we realize that the fire on Katniss and Peeta is not actually real. But it looks real. They crowd cheers their names and they wave, blow kisses, and soak in all of the attention. It surprises me to see Kat like this, but I know it's only for the sponsor's she'll gain.

After the Ceremonies, I walk Prim home and she babbles about how spectacular Katniss' outfit was. How Kat will have sponsors lining up for her just from the Opening Ceremonies alone. For the first time in a long time, I fall asleep feeling content and happy. It's the exact opposite of how I felt last night. But before I fall asleep I realize that the Games have yet to start and when they do, things will be getting worse, very quickly. The thought of how quickly stays in my mind as I drift into sleep.

**And Done! I hope you guys like this one better than what I originally written. Anyway, please make sure to leave a review, and tell me your thoughts of my story. Also, I'm curious to see how you think Gale is from Town? Please give me your answer that in your review. I hope for another 5 reviews again before I make another update. I hope you all had a very Merry Christmas, and make sure you stay safe this holiday season! See you next chapter! **


	5. Bittersweet Success

**Hey y'all, how ya doing? Happy New Year's Eve, and I hope you all have a great year in 2014. Personally, I can't wait for 2013 to be done with, as it's been a truly horrible year, and I hope that 2014 will be much better. Anyway, from the reviews I've received (which have been wonderful) I've decided to try writing a chapter in Gale's POV, which will be the next chapter. I figured this chapter wouldn't work for doing so, and I thought next chapter would work almost perfectly. Okay, next thing on the agenda, is a thank you to the new followers- miriamjelder, Romantic Dreamer13 and WritersElemental. And another thank you goes out to all of my lovely reviewers. These amazing people include: taytertarts, a guest who left a review for all 4 chapters (sorry I didn't have a name for shoutout), another guest who reviewed chapter 4, Kat (I like the name), Romantic Dreamer13, anon, TributeAndProud, and Jasmine. I'm so glad you all have liked my story so far, and I hope to continue with creating more well written chapters. Okay, so please remember to leave a review at the end (once again I'm looking for 5 reviews before the next update), and tell me what you think. **

**(Disclaimer: Suzanne Collins has all rights to the Hunger Games and her story. Oh and just an fyi, you find out how Gale's family is from town in this chapter!)**

**Chapter Five: Bittersweet Success. **

Training scores were announced last night, meaning the interviews are tonight. With the exception of the announcing of training scores, the past four days have passed in a very uneventful manner since my little run in with the Hawthorne boy. Peeta was able to pull off a score of eight, and Katniss managed an eleven. The entire district was amazed that Kat had outshone even the career tributes and was the recipient of the highest training score. I know that I should be ecstatic for my friend's achievement, but there is something about it that seems a bit off to me. Kat's score was an outlier in the group, practically making her ideal for either an alliance, or the first kill. In a way, it's almost as if they painted a target on her forehead. My mind keeps wondering to this small fact, worrying about how this will play out in the arena. Luckily though, I've been able to distract my mind with some sketches I've been working on for the past four days.

The day after the opening ceremonies I went to Stonerick's shop again, taking him up on his earlier offer. Stonerick showed me the collection he had been working on. The new designs, stones and metals mixed beautifully together, and it felt like I was in my own personal heaven. Before I left, Rick showed me some supplies that he had yet to figure out what to do with, what designs to make with the miscellaneous pieces. He had told me that no one working in the shop had figured out a way to incorporate them with the rest of the collection, and if he hadn't figured out something by the end of the week (which was in two days) he would have to put an incomplete collection on the market. Without him even having to ask me, I took up the challenge to create the last few pieces. I made a mental list of the supplies and then wrote them down so that I could remember them when I got back to my house. For the past seventy-two hours I've been trying to come up with some sketches that may work. I've been working on them with every free second I have available. Work has been going rather slow this week, which has allowed me time to work on creating some unique sketches. Just like I was doing now.

I had already completed the tasks Mrs. Cronin gave to me when I walked into the building, so I continued with my sketches. I think I had a few options figured out as for the designs. Using light copper band, I twisted it with another golden band the size of a ring, lacing a few small green gems in between the metals. Taking four black metal stands I used a fishtail braiding technique to arrange aquamarine, jade, and amethyst stones alternating throughout the braid. My designs were simple, but one thing I have realized about the Capitol people, is that they tend to focus more on subtle jewelry, whereas their outfits, hair and just about every other aspect of their wardrobe is extravagant and eccentric. However, I did design a couple loud pieces as well. A tiara completely encrusted in hot pink and neon orange (apparently a very popular color combination in the Capitol) colored jewels, with diamonds hanging from the back, so that it drapes down behind the back in a sort of reverse necklace look. As well as a large silver chain link bracelet with large and gaudy shaped gems hanging down from the links in a distinctive pattern. And then a few metal strands would hang out from the bottom of each jewel, the costumer would have the choice of braiding the strands, or letting them drape across each other.

I was working on adding a few minor details onto the sketches, and a cloud of dust generated over the counter as Mrs. Cronin set down my payment for the past three weeks. I opened the small bag to find only half the amount of coins than what there should be. I take a second look and count, just in case my eyes are deceiving me.

"Where's the rest of my money?" I ask, now knowing I've been majorly ripped off.

"The amount of money there is the amount you've deserved this time." Mrs. Cronin replied with a bitter and sly smirk rising on her face.

"This isn't even half of my agreed payment. This doesn't include the money for our trades or the money for all of the extra work and overtime I've done this week." My voice is beginning to rise as the anger begins to bubble up. I don't even bother to look at the door behind me as it opens with a creak. "Answer me, how the hell is this pathetic amount the proper payment?'

"Well, you ungrateful little brat, your so called trades haven't included berries, or the correct amount of squirrels. You've spent half of your time doodling rather than working, you-"

"I forgot berries one time, not every time this week. I've been giving you extra game, not less, and I've only been sketching when I run out of tasks to do for you. I ask and ask and yet, you never give me anything else to do. I've done everything you've asked for me to do and more, yet you decide to rip me off. Stealing over half of my payment and bitching at me for nothing. You old, crusty, birds are lucky that I would work for you in the first place, when no one else in town would. And yet, you think it's right to steal someone's hard earned money? How long have you been taking money from me?"

"How dare you even accuse me of doing so, you little bitch!?" Mrs. Cronin roughly smacks her hand across my cheek, causing my anger to rise. "You should be happy to have worked here at all when you are just dirt from the Seam! Your kind deserves to rot and die in their little huts. You scum are even below the dead tributes, and prostitutes. You don't deserve to be living, let alone work in such _a high_ establishment." The pride in her voice in oozing out, and I wish I had my knives with me- I could even make it look like an accident.

"Why won't you give me my proper payment, are you afraid by doing so, you won't be able to pay for all of your illegal drugs and alcohol? Don't look so shocked, I see your garbage bins outside. I know how many bottles you buy from Ripper and how you smuggle in illegal substances for your own leisure."

"No, you accept the payment I gave you or-"

"Or what?"

"No, you're right. There is no 'or' girly. You're fired, and if you ever dare step foot in this _profound _establishment again, I'll call the peacekeepers to drag you to the whipping post."

I can't help but laugh. "You do realize you can't fire me you old hag."

"Oh, and why is that, you little twat."

"Because I quit. "I spit back at her. "But before I'm leaving I'm taking the rest of the money you owe me." I can tell she's about to retort or tell me I'll be convicted with stealing. Instead I untie my apron and roughly throw it at her. "Remember, I have our agreement in writing with my father as a witness, so you can't cheat me out of my money and legally get away with it."

Mrs. Cronin seems taken aback. She thickly swallows, and then makes her way over to their coin box. She pulls out the other fifteen coins she owes me before returning to scowl at me. I gather my things and head towards the door. It's only then that I see the customer who witnessed my quitting, and has a look of amusement plastered on his face.

"What Hawthorne?"

"Nothing, but I think I'm taking my business somewhere besides this place from now on." A small smile makes its way to my face. I know Gale's comment wasn't meant to cheer me up, but it makes me feel better knowing these old two bastards will get what they deserve. And yet, at the same time, I feel ashamed of myself for causing the possible downfall of a family business. When my hand is on the doorknob I hear an old voice calling out to me, probably wanting to get the last word.

"It's too bad that money won't make a difference to your bitch of a mother's little condition. That's what she deserves after all, a slow painful death, for her sister not being strong enough to survive the Games, and for marrying into a _Seam_ family." I quickly open the door and slam it shut once I leave to poor establishment, not even bothering to say my dad wasn't from the Seam. The door slams hard enough to cause the thick layer of dust surrounding the building to float off, into the air.

I hate to admit it, but the old hag's comments stung. The way she thinks so poorly from anyone in the Seam, and the jabs she took at my mother's condition were harsh blows. That's also when the reality of what just happened sinks in to my mind. I just lost the only job I've been able to get. I have two families to feed, and the collection for Katniss to take care of. I just lost half of my income after throwing my temper tantrum, as well as one of my customers. I begin to wish I had just kept my mouth shut, but I know that wouldn't have done any good. That would have just given those two even more opportunities to walk all over me. I'm proud of myself for standing up like that, for not being a coward for once and taking an actual risk. A part of me wants to go home, to tell my parents of what happened, but as soon as I think of doing so, I remember that's not an option right now. My dad took my mother to a doctor in the Capitol for an update on her condition. That means my parents won't be home until late tomorrow evening.

Instead of going home, I find myself walking through the Seam, toward the Everdeen household. I've been able to provide enough food for the Everdeens these past couple days, but there have been a few meals I've skipped in order to give Prim enough to eat. Today and tomorrow should be a bit easier. This morning I was able to collect a large bounty of game, and my parents aren't here to eat any, so the Everdeens will have plenty to eat, and maybe even have some leftover food. When Kat's house comes into view, I see a small figure standing on the porch. A boy (probably around Prim's age), who's appearance looks like that of someone from the Seam, but clothes show otherwise, stands starring at the Everdeen's door. I walk up to the kid, trying not to startle him.

"Are you looking for someone?" I try to ask the boy gently, as to not scare him.

"I- uh, um, I don't know." I hear the kid mutter.

"Are you here for medicine from Mrs. Everdeen?" This would be the most generic reason, but the boy shakes his head no. "Are you here to see Mrs. Everdeen about anything?" Another broad question with several answers, but the boy again shakes his head, saying no. "Do you know Prim?" This time, he slowly nods. "Are you here to see Prim?"

"I, um, maybe." I giggle a bit at the boy's nervous answer.

"Well, if you are here to see her, then you can come in with me."

"Okay." His face lights up, which almost confirms my suspicion of him having a small crush on the blonde Everdeen.

"One thing before we go inside, what's your name kid?"

"Rory, I'm in Prim's grade at school."

"It's nice to meet you Rory, my name's Madge." And with that I open the door. "Hey Prim, there's a kid from school here to see you. He says his name is Rory."

I see Prim jump off the couch, and bounce over to the doorway where Rory and I stand. I let the two kids have a little time to talk as I walk over to Mrs. Everdeen.

"I brought over some game for you, two rabbits and two squirrels." I take the animals out of my bag and place them on the counter for her. "I can skin them if you want me to."

"No, it's quite alright, I can do that. Thank you for bringing over the game, but make sure your family has enough too." I quickly explain to Mrs. Everdeen that my family is in the Capitol right now, and won't be back for a while. I told her I had enough food for myself while they are gone, but that's kind of a lie. I saved back food for myself, but when I was about to eat some for lunch today I found out it had gone bad much sooner than I expected. Mrs. Everdeen doesn't spend much more time talking to me before going back to tending to her medicine cabinet, and then skinning the meat I gave her. So, I decide to leave.

For a while I walk around aimlessly. I stop at the meadow for a little bit, and then I find my feet carrying me toward town. I decide to stop by the bakery first, remembering my promise to Peeta. As soon as I enter the shop I can smell baking treats, and it makes my stomach growl in hunger. Mr. Mellark is at the front counter awaiting business. I make my usual trades with the man, but instead of leaving, I stay and chat for a little while. I ask him how the family's holding up and he informs me that Peeta's older brothers are taking this the hardest. However, after the announcement of Peeta's score of an eight in training, the family seems much more cheery and lighthearted. I joke around telling him that Peeta made me promise to not let the bakery burn to the ground or let his mother decorate the cakes. I whisper the last portion so that Mrs. Mellark can't hear me. The good news is that the bakery is still standing, but the cakes aren't frosted very well. It's not by Mrs. Mellark's hands though. To my surprise I find that both of Peeta's older brothers have been the ones to attempt designing the decorative cakes. After making a little bit more small talk with Mr. Mellark, I decide to leave and not interrupt their business anymore for today. As I pass by the shop window, I see exactly what Mr. Mellark said when the cakes look atrocious, and it's pointedly obvious that the older Mellark boys don't have the talent of their younger brother.

My next stop is the jewelers. I find myself smiling as the small bell announces my arrival. Today it looks like both Mr. and Mrs. Stonerick are at the front of the shop.

"Good afternoon." I greet them with a smile. "Up for a little trading today?"

Stonerick's laugh booms throughout the shop, "When aren't we Madge?" And I chuckle too. I place the birds on the table and even offer up some other meat from a few rabbits and squirrels, which they happily accept.

"How in the world do you catch so many animals?" Mrs. Stonerick looks over the small pile in awe, also knowing that I provide enough for other trades, as well as two families now.

"I have a few years of practice. And, with it being spring, there are several animals moving about right now."

"And doesn't spring also mean that it's berry season as well?" Rick hints as he begins collecting coins for my trade from the register. I feel the smile on my face widen as he speaks.

"Why of course." I state while reaching into my bag to pull out the fruit. "How else would I have been able to find these?" Both of the Stonericks let out a small chuckle at my 'new' method of trading.

"Considering how much food you brought us, I have the feeling we are going to have to have a feast soon." Rick hands he the small sack of coins. "There should be sixteen in there today." I nod and place the pouch back into my bag.

Before I leave I want to ask Rick about the leftover supplies he had. His face falls a bit as he shakes his head no. I smile a gently pull the paper sketches out of my bag, placing them on the counter.

"I know I had no business doing so, but I wanted to see if I could help you at all with completing a few pieces." I offer as Rick takes the papers off the table to examine them even closer. I watch his reaction anxiously, nervous that my designs would be trash. I can feel beads of sweat begin to form on my palms and my heartbeat begins to pick up. After a short amount of time Mrs. Stonerick goes over to her husband, also looking over the designs I gave them.

"Madge, did you create these all on your own?" I nod, my entire body is still racked with nerves, so much to a point that I'm afraid to speak. The husband and wife duo then exchange a small look before quickly shuffling through the papers once more, and returning their attention to me. "Would you be willing to help make these sketches come to life?"

"W-what?" My nervous reply generates another chuckle out of Rick.

"I mean, would you like to help actual make these pieces. The works you created are very original and unique, but have enough similarity to mine that they are able to be incorporated into the most recent collection."

"I- I would love to, but I think there are many more qualified people for that job."

"Madge, this was a test for you. I've been looking to hire another set of hands around here as business has been picking up, and I showed you those supplies to see if you would indeed create something with them. However, I didn't expect them to be this good. These sketches show the work of an experienced jeweler, who has had years of practice. The color combinations show that you pay attention and know what your audience has an eye for, and the diversity of complex, simple, subtle and extravagant show how wide of a range your skills may be. Let alone how you take everyday designs into consideration when you sketched these, using shapes and techniques that people have yet to try in this art, that shows how creative your mind is. After a few years of practice I can only imagine what you could create."

"Wait, does that mean that you're actually offering me a job here?" Good lord, I feel like I'm being slow today, especially when Rick nods at me expectantly.

"So, I take it you accept? Or are you going to try to start a rival business in town, and give me a run for my money."

I laugh at his comment, before giving an answer. "Of course I accept!" And at that, Mrs. Stonerick gives me a full tour of the shop, explaining to me how the different machines in the back work, she shows me the process of finding good or bad gemstones, and briefly gives me an example of how to create the piece by hand. I follow her and watch like a kid caught in a candy store. It seems as if something may actually go right for once.

"I'll have one of my sons mentor you until you get the hang of things around here. You're first day is tomorrow, and he'll be here to show you more than I did today. He'll instruct you on making your pieces and help you create them." I nod as I absorb all of the information she offers to me. "But until then, it looks like it's about time to close for today. The interviews are tonight, so we have to close up shop a bit earlier today."

"Hazelle, why don't we have Madge stay for dinner? She did provide us with quite the feast tonight, and it will give her an opportunity to meet the other people she would be working with." Rick offers up, and all the sudden I feel like an intrusion.

"Oh no, I couldn't. I mean interviews are tonight too, and I would just be an intrusion to you guys."

"Nonsense, Madge. Your parents are out of town for tonight aren't they? The least we can do is provide some dinner to you." Mrs. Stonerick retorts. I'm about to protest again to say I'm not hungry, but my stomach growls in annoyance. "See, Madge, besides it'll give you a chance to meet the rest of our family, and this is a family business for the most part."

This time Mr. Stonerick makes an answer for me before I can even open my mouth. "She'll stay, and if she decides to decline again, I'll say she can help with making dinner or cleaning up in return for her food." Then he playfully adds, "And Madge, if you decline again, you'll be fired." I can tell by his tone he's joking, and I see no way out of their offer, so reluctantly, I accept.

"Great. Oh and Madge, there is no need to be so formal with us, you can call me Hazelle." I nod at her request.

I turn to Mr. Stonerick then. "So does that mean I should still call you Rick, or would you rather I call you by your first name as well?"

I see his eyebrows furrow in confusion. "What do you mean? Rick is my first name."

"I- I'm sorry, I just thought Stonerick was your last name."

Yet another laugh bellows out of the tall man. "Yes, yes, I can see where you would get that idea. But my first name is Rick, I add the 'Stone' part because it's more appealing to people from the Capitol." I nod.

"So then, what is your last name?" I feel horrible now that I know that I've been calling him by the wrong name when I address him, even after four years of trading with Rick.

"Hawthorne."

**And there it is! I hope you all enjoyed the chapter, and I apologize for it being shorter than usual, and for it being a slow chapter. Hopefully next chapter will be more interesting. Well, I hope you all have a fantastic new year's eve, and don't forget to review! See ya in the next chapter!**


	6. A Dangerous Dinner

**So, I'm sure this is a chapter some of you have been anxiously waiting for, it time to look at things through Gale's POV! But, before I can let you guys read, I want to give a shout out to all the new reviews (Jasmine, ForFutureReference, GoChlollie, and TriubteAndProud), favorites (queenanneboleyn3) and follows (ForFutureReference, Lemon-Drop24 , and The Pink Archer) this story has gotten since the last update. You all are fantastic and I hope you all continue to enjoy my story.*** As of right now I'm planning out the rest of this story, outlining it, and it looks like there will be 21 more chapters after this. This story is going to cover both The Hunger Games, and Catching Fire, but toward the end of Catching Fire, things will go off cannon a bit, or a lot. Anyway, if any of you have a suggestion or idea for a chapter or have anything you want to see happen in this story, please PM me or leave it in a review. I will try to work with you in getting the idea into this story (and don't worry you will receive full credit for the idea). Anyway, as always, I hope you enjoy!**

**(Disclaimer: Not my characters. Now time for Gale POV. Hope you all like it!)**

**Chapter Six: A Dangerous Dinner**

**GALE'S POV**

Ma sent me out this morning with a list of chores and errands to run while she and Dad ran the shop. So far I had gone to the lauders (which was rather interesting as I watched the argument between the owner and that Undersee girl), the drug store, and a few other shops in town- after going on an errand of my own. I only have one more stop before I can go home, the Bakery. I haven't been to the place since Mellark left for the Games, and I'm not sure what to expect when I go into the building. The familiar smell of baking bread and other treats greets me at the door. Mellark's oldest brother Rye is at the counter, and looks like he would want to be anywhere but there. I hold up six coins for him to see as I make my way to the counter.

"Two loafs of bread." I order, and Rye nods before grabbing the two loafs from the shelf behind him. I hand him my coins before he packages them up. I don't ask him about the Games or his brother, and in a way, I think he appreciates it. I can only imagine the irritation of being asked about your brother's emanate death by each customer who walks into the place. We exchange very few words while I'm there, which I'm fine with. The only words he says to me are said as I'm on my way to the door.

"Hey man, can you flip the sign around to show that we're closed?" I'm at the door, and with a flip of my wrist I comply with his request, then letting the door shut behind me, muffling his thanks.

It takes roughly two minutes to get from the Bakery back to my house. I go around back and enter through the back door just like always. As soon as I enter, a blast a warm air hits my face, and I smile as I smell rabbit cooking for supper. Ma must have decided to make one of my favorite meals tonight. I didn't think we had any rabbit left from my haul, but I guess I was wrong. That or she could have bought it off of someone else today.

"Gale!" I hear before the door behind me closes, and I see a small figure race across the room and into my arms. I don't even try to suppress the chuckle I give as I spin the giggling four year old around and return the hug she gives me.

"How's my favorite girl doing today?" I ask while ruffling Posy's hair. She shakes her head and quickly tries to comb through her hair with her fingers to get rid of the knots I just made.

"Gale," This time she's whining rather than greeting me excitedly. "Show starts in a few minutes. Mama thought you were gonna be late and get in trouble."

"Com'n Pose, you're starting to get as bad as Ma while this whole late thing." I glace at the clock on the wall. "Besides, I got here with nine minutes to spare, that's not even close to late." I place the two loafs of bread on the countertop and throw my bag down on the floor by the door of my room. Posy runs back into the living room. I kick my shoes off and grab a glass of water before the interviews start.

Dad's voice echoes through the house as he laughs and calls me into the room to watch the interviews. "Gale, you need to get your ass in here!" I smirk as I hear my ma scold dad for 'using such profound language in front of the young children'. I hear Rory laughing in the living room too, but once I hear another voice speaking quietly, I realize he was laughing at something completely different. I can tell the voice belongs to a girl, but it's not the right pitch or maturity to match my mothers and it sounds too old to belong Posy.

I slowly make my way into the only room in our house with a television. As I enter the room, I lean on the door frame and immediately my eyes focus on the head of blonde hair that does not belong to anyone living in this household. I inwardly sigh hoping this isn't some match making attempt by Ma. I already have a few dozen girls at school fawning over me- it's getting annoying enough as it is. I only talk to them because Ma would throw a huge temper tantrum if I was rude to any of them, and so I don't have to deal with them on a regular basis. It seems like when I talk to one of them, they leave me alone for a few days, trying to get over the fact that they actually had my attention, if even for a short period of time. But then again, there were those few girls that insisted on coming onto me on a daily basis. Upon closer inspection, I realize that the blonde girl isn't from Town. Nothing about her appearance screams out the fact that she's from Town.

"Rory," Ma starts. "Why don't you go check on dinner before the interviews start, make sure nothing's burning?" Rather than answering or getting up to do so, Rory lays down on his back and groans in protest.

"I can do it Hazelle." The blonde offers and I recognize her voice almost immediately. The girl stands before Ma can protest and when she turns around, I see that I was right. It's none other than Madge Undersee. I feel my face form into a scowl.

"Why the hell are you here?" Okay, so maybe the question was a bit harsh, but I have no idea why the hell this girl is in my house. She seems taken aback for a second and then quickly recovers, raising her eyebrows at me. The similarity of this moment and our interaction outside my family's shop the other day gives me a sense of déjà vu. The only thing that's different is that Dad joins in our conversation. I think Ma would too, but she's too shocked at my behavior right now.

"So I take it the two of you know each other? That's good at least, no need for introductions."

"But why is she here?" I'm speaking to Dad, but my gaze is still locked on Undersee, who chooses to ignore me as she passes by, and goes into the kitchen.

"Because your father and I invited her to have dinner with us." Ma chimes in. "Besides, if she is going to be working in the shop with us, we figured she may as well get to know the family she'll be working with."

"Wait, when did you guys decide to hire someone else?" I have no memory of my parents even mentioning the subject of hiring someone else for the shop. "And why someone from the Seam?"

"Gale Hawthorne, I thought I raised you better than this. We wanted a new head full of ideas in our shop, someone with potential to be a great artist. And don't you dare accuse us of starting a charity case- your father tested her to make sure she would be able to meet the expectations of our shop." Ma looks as if she's about to explode. Before I have the chance to get another word in, Rory informs us that the interviews are about to start. I take the seat in between Vick and Posy, while Madge returns to the room going straight back to where she was sitting.

The interviews begin just as they do every year, with Caesar Flickerman giving a grand introduction of the games, restating a few facts about the previous games, and hyping up the crowd, making them excited to hear what the tributes have to say. It's sick how much entertainment people in the Capitol get from watching kids fight to the death. The fact that we live in a society that worships these brutal games shows how ridiculous the government is, and the people they rule over.

The interviews begin with the female tribute from district one, Glimmer. As soon as she enters the television screen I cover Vicks eyes, and I see Madge blocking Rory's as well. The girl on stage is in a completely see through dress, showing herself off, most likely in an attempt to gain more sponsors. Her angle is obvious as soon as she steps on stage and opens her mouth. Seductive and sexy. Yet again, this is ridiculous and disgusts me. It gets a bit better after Glimmer disappears. Her district partner comes off as a cocky and arrogant asshole. The pair from two are bloodthirsty and I bet most sponsors will be tripping over one another to fund them. There are no other distinctive tributes in the next few districts, until five. The girl from five looks sly and sneaky, she even tells Caesar that she will win because of how cunning and smart she is. The next few districts are boring once again, and I find my attention shifting over to the blonde across the room from me. Her expression shows that she's concentrating- probably so that she knows what her friend is up against. I notice that her eyebrows furrow or rise in disbelief at some comments. I try to shift my concentration back to the screen, but it keeps drifting back to Undersee.

I start paying more attention to the screen when district eleven comes on. I feel bad for the small girl, Rue, from eleven as she goes on stage- she can't be any older than twelve, Rory's age. It hits me that that small and young person being forced into the arena could very well be Rory, or Vick, or even Posy in a few years. And next year, if Rory's name is called, I can't do anything to help. This year was my last reaping and I can't volunteer to take his place anymore. I'll be forced to watch my own sibling die, or even kill some innocent kid in order to come back home. The entire system of the Games is messed up. I can only think of what Rue's family must be going through. There is absolutely no chance she'll be able to make in out alive.

Thresh is Rue's huge district partner, it looks like he could even be a career. His short and curt responses remind me of how I would act if I was put into the games. I think that if Mellark can't win, I want one of the two from eleven to win.

And finally, the last district is interviewed, our district. The Catnip girl is first, and it's obvious that her stylist has continued with the fire theme from the opening ceremonies. Catnip is obviously nervous and uncomfortable on stage, she even misses Caesar's first question. At first, she sounds extremely awkward and looks like she could puke on stage, but after a small amount of time she opens up to the audience. Toward the end of her interview she spins around, fascinating the audience as flames form on the bottom of her skirt. To finish off the interview, Caesar asks a few questions about her volunteering for her younger sister.

The next and last interview is Mellark. Caesar and Mellark chat about showers for a while, and how they smell like flowers. I even crack a smile at their conversation. That's when the subject changes and Caesar asks if there is a girl involved with Peeta. A moment of hesitation, and he shakes his head no.

"Handsome lad like you. There must be a special girl. Come on, what's her name?" At this point Caesar is prying, waiting for Mellark to bite the bait laid out in front of him.

Mellark sighs, and decides to give and honest answer. "Well, there is this one girl. I've had a crush on her ever since I can remember." Dammit Mellark, don't do this to yourself. "But I'm pretty sure she didn't know I was alive until the reaping." You can hear the audience sympathizing with Mellark for his situation. I turn to get a quick look as Undersee. Her eyes are wide, and her mouth is slightly parted, I wonder if she knows who he's talking about. When she begins to shake her head slightly I think she has figured it out.

"She have another fellow?" Caesar continues to press for information.

"I don't know, but a lot of boys like her," I wonder how the Capitol will react once Mellark finally reveals this girls identity.

"So, here's what you do. You win, you go home. She can't turn you down then, eh?" Caesar offers his advice and I scoff, ignoring the looks I get from my family.

"I don't think it's going to work out. Winning… won't help in my case," Now it's Mellark's turn to bait Caesar. I swear I hear a small 'no' from across the room.

"Why ever not?" And, here comes the bombshell.

Mellark's face is tomato red when he announces. "Because… because… she came here with me." Silence. It takes a few moments for the information to sink in correctly.

"Oh, that is a piece of bad luck," Caesar agrees and the audience nods along with him. Mellark has dropped a big enough bombshell to gain both of them sponsors, but there is an ulterior motive as well. Mellark is going to do everything he can do to help Katniss become Victor, he made Katniss look desirable to the Capitol, which will then help her survive the arena. The audience had gone wild at this point, relishing in the fact that this made the Games so much more interesting. The have a love story that can never work out, something they can anxiously look forward to watching in the Games- and to see if Catnip returns the feelings. The Capitol citizens are in a frenzy now, awaiting the start of the Games tomorrow. The living room is silent in my house. No one is daring enough to speak for a few minutes. They all know that my best friend will be doing everything he can to make sure he doesn't come home. My eyes fall on Undersee again, she should be ecstatic that her friend has an even larger chance of making it out alive. But instead she sits there staring at the ground, almost as if she's trying to figure out a way this could work out for them, processing on what she had just witnessed.

No one moves until Posy complains about being hungry and that she wants dinner. We all move into the Kitchen. Ma places the food on platters to pass around the table and Vick and Rory set the table. I help Posy wash her hands and get situated in her spot at the table. Undersee looks uncomfortable for a few moments, and then rushes to help Vick get the tableware he can't reach. She goes to work helping to distribute utensils, plates and glasses. It doesn't take long for us to begin dinner, but for the most part we sit and eat in silence. Undersee originally takes a portion the same size of Posy until my Ma forces her to put more food on her plate.

I keep looking across the table at her. Glaring and scowling as if she could change the way Mellark feels about her friend, as if she could change his fate at all. Ma and Dad attempt to make conversation but every topic they bring up falls flat. Posy doesn't even try to disrupt the silence. My anger just continues to build as time passes. Undersee finally attempts conversation, but I block her voice out, letting the anger build more and more. I hear her say my name a few times, but I say nothing.

"What is your problem?" She eventually breaks the polite mold she's been in all night.

"You and your friend." I reply bluntly.

"What, you think it's my fault the two of them got put into the games? That it's my fault Peeta feels that way about Katniss and that he had to announce it to the entire country? How is it possible that any of that would be my fault?"

"I don't know, maybe if she had never volunteered, then we wouldn't have this issue."

"So you would want an innocent twelve year old girl to go in there to die rather than my friend? I bet you would volunteer for Rory if he was reaped, so don't even try to use that bullcrap excuse."

"You're right, I would take his place in a heartbeat. And if that Catnip girl was such a close friend to you, why the hell didn't you volunteer instead? You must have known she would have taken her sister's place. So, yes, this is your fault. You had the chance to do something and yet you just stood on the sidelines and watched." I understand that what I'm saying is horrible, but I can't control my temper now, it's too built up. "You know your friend is going to come back home, while I have to wait for my friend's death, not knowing when or where or even how it'll be. He's going to do whatever he can to make sure she comes home and he doesn't."

"There's no guarantee that Katniss is coming back home, she could die out there. No one knows what's going to happen in that arena. She could die in the bloodbath for all I know, and Peeta could end up being the Victor in the end. I think that's what you don't understand, in your case you could lose one person close to you or they could win. As for me, no matter what happens, I'm losing one important person in my life, maybe even both of them."

"Oh, so you want me to feel pity for you now? You want me to be nice and sugarcoat everything so your fragile little feelings don't get hurt?"

"Do you really have that thick of a skull that you don't understand other people have something to lose too? Do you not realize that other families are grieving for tributes that have no chance? Do you not understand that there's more than just how you feel about something? That there's more at risk than a single friendship. Twenty three kids are about to die in the next two weeks and all you can think about is how it's my fault?"

"All I'm saying is that Mellark sacrificing himself for your friend could have been prevented by you."

"You know what? No, I couldn't have changed that. If I tried to volunteer Katniss would still find a way to go in. I doubt she would let me go in for Prim. And it's not my fault that Peeta is in love with Katniss- I can't control how he feels about her. None of us can. So maybe you should try to direct your energy at figuring out how you can help your friend rather than yelling at me about things I can't control."

"No, I see what you're doing- you're trying to make me feel guilty that I live in Town and not the Seam. You're trying to get me to pity you because of how rough your life is and all the struggles you have. You want me to pity you because the girl you were friends with is going to kill Peeta in the arena." I hear the gasps of my mother as I continue talking but I ignore them. My mind is not functioning correctly. Right now all I'm focused on is getting my anger out, and it looks like Undersee is a chosen target for that anger. "You want me to think of how bad you have it, and start to take your side, to root for Catnip to kill Mellark. You want-"

"_Do not say that I want your pity._ The last thing I want, the last thing I need is your damn pity. I'm not trying to get you to think that Peeta's death is the right thing, I don't even think that. I don't want to change your opinions about the games or the people in them. What I want is for you to understand you aren't the only one hurting. Other people are losing those important to them, other people do have it worse off than you, but I'm not trying to get you to pity them. I want you to appreciate what you have because there are so many others who would kill to be in your position." Silence. "I don't even know why you are so intent about bringing up the Seam and Town division _every single_ time we speak. The only thing that separates the people from Town and Seam is money. Money and the mindset that having more money than someone else makes you better than those below you. I sure as hell know that your parents don't have that mindset, so why do you? Peeta thought that the district division was absurd, and if you spent so much time with him, then why are you so hell-bent and insistent that I'm so different from you because of where I'm from? You thought I stole from the shop when I ran into you the other day, and you think that I have an ulterior motive for saying good-bye to Peeta, who was my friend. Is it because I'm from the Seam that you think I'm such a horrible scumbag, or do you only think of others that way because that's who you are?" I feel like I've been slapped in the face. I try to find words in order to retort to what she said, but they are all a jumbled mess in my head. At this point the two of us are standing on opposite sides of the table and glaring at one another. It's almost as if she gave me the lecture she has wanted to give to everyone from Town for the past several years. There is a spark of fire glinting in her eyes, but it looks almost as if a shield of water is about to overtake the fire. It takes a few seconds until I realize what I just did. Until reality settles into my mind. "Mr. and Mrs. Hawthorne, I apologize for my behavior tonight. I hope that you will forgive me as I meant no disrespect to you at all. I'll be at the shop first thing tomorrow morning if you'll still have me." As soon as she finishes her apology, Madge storms out of the house.

Before I can even process what's happening, I'm on my feet and following the blonde girl outside. I'm running to catch up with her fast stride. When I finally reach her, I grab her wrist and try to stop her.

"Look Undersee, I-"

"No Gale, save it. I don't want your pity or an apology. I'm sure it means nothing to you anyway."

"Please, listen-"

"Why? Why should I listen to anything you have to say when you won't listen to me? When you criticize me for something beyond my control. When you are so insistent that I'm some shitty person and you are too blinded by your stereotypes to see that I'm just another teenager." She turns and begins to walk away. "When will you see that I'm just as damaged by what happened as you are?"

I watch as her form disappears into the darkness of the night. I don't- I can't even mutter an apology as she walks away.

I slowly walk back home, dreading the consequences of my actions. I realize that what I did was wrong, how I handled the situation was wrong, but I couldn't stop it once it started. It's like a raging fire in this coal covered district- once it starts, there is so much fuel that I doesn't stop until it's too late.

I sit on the back steps of the house, it's late enough that Posy and Vick should be in bed by now. That also means my parents will be scolding me the second I walk in the house.

"I thought you may be out here." Dad's voice calls from behind. I stay quiet. I don't even know how to begin to apologize.

"Tomorrow morning, you're apologizing to that girl." He orders as he sits down on the steps beside me.

"I know. I didn't realize what I was doing until it was too late."

"Gale, you need to learn to control your temper. I know you're angry, but taking it out on someone like you did with Madge is not the right way to deal with it."

"So what's my punishment?"

"Let's see, working the early shift in the shop, extra chores around the house and no going anywhere besides school and viewings for the next week." I fight the urge to groan in protest, but I know I deserve it. "And don't worry, you'll have plenty of time to apologize to Madge."

"Any reason as to why? That she'll be working in the shop?"

"Because you'll be the one training her." A sense of dread washes over me. I'm not even sure if I can face her after tonight, let alone teach her everything about the shop, it'll take weeks to do so. "Now, go inside. There's a sink full of dishes for you to take care of before you can go to sleep."

**And that's it for now. I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter. Please leave a review sharing your thoughts with me. I'm not sure how well this chapter ended up being in Gale's POV, I'm not sure if I did it justice. Okay, so another 5 reviews before the next update please! Oh, and if you have any story suggestions, I've been looking for a few new stories to read, so if you have one leave the title in a review please! See ya later. **


	7. Let the Games Begin

**So, it's a snow day and I got locked in my room because the door knob broke… Yeah, I'm not joking, I'm literally stuck in here. Therefore, you guys get another chapter! Woohoo! Anyway, before we get to the story, I would like to thank SandyXX, TheScottishLegend, THatGurlx3, AVG18, FinchelEverlark4ever, and UrbanFreeKid for the story follows, and ****Lemon-Drop24****, ****ForFutureReference****, Jasmine, iheartliamhemsworth, taytertarts, and ****GoChlollie**** for the fantastic reviews. I'm glad you guys liked the Gale POV, I think another one is coming up in two or three chapters. I hope you enjoy, and please remember to leave a review telling me your thoughts. Oh, and thank you for all your suggestions of stories to read, I've finished one and have started on a second.**

**(Disclaimer: I only own my own characters and ideas, everything else belongs to Suzanne Collins. Oh and to avoid confusion, this chapter is back to Madge's POV.)**

**Chapter Seven: Let the Games Begin.**

Sleep apparently wasn't an option for me tonight. I kept tossing and turning, unable to get comfortable on my old and warn mattress. But getting comfortable wasn't the only thing preventing me from falling asleep. The words exchanged between Gale and I earlier wouldn't stop echoing through my head. Even though he didn't know me well enough to know, Gale managed to hit some of the worse spots possible. The district divide was a tough blow, but when he called me out for being a coward, that jab was the worst one.

"_You had the chance to do something and yet you just stood on the sidelines and watched." _

I hate myself for the way I froze up after Prim's name was called. I just stood there, didn't do anything, didn't say anything to help Kat as she ran up to block her sister from the stage. All I managed to do was stand there, like some helpless little girl and watch. When I finally came to my senses I ran up and pulled Prim away from Kat, taking her back to their mother. I may as well have agreed to let my friend die, and told Prim that she wouldn't see her sister again. I confirmed the notion that we could do absolutely nothing to stop this from happening.

That one sentence echoed throughout my mind, haunting my thoughts and preventing me from getting any sleep at all. So, for the second time in the past week I made my way into the woods at night. I sat at the base of a tree, waiting for the game to come to me- after all, I did have plenty of time. After several hours of hunting, my game bag was filled to the point that some animals were about to fall out. But, the only place that would be open for a trade at this time in the morning would be the bakery. Instead of going back over the fence, I stayed out in the woods. I wondered over to the same bluff Kat and I sat on back on reaping day. I laid down on my back and looked up at the sky, watching the stars slowly disappear into the light rays from the sun. I found myself almost drifting off into sleep several times. I had to force myself back into reality as I got up off the ground and dreadfully started the walk back into the district.

Today is the day the Games begin. Today is the day that Kat could die, the day Prim may lose her older sister, and I could lose my friend. Hell, I could lose both friends today. I try to force the gruesome thought out of my head and I carefully maneuver through the ever present snare line. I do _not_ want a repeat of the other day, more so now that the cut around my ankle finally managed to heal.

The walk into town is very uneventful and trading today is an extremely quiet experience. With the Games starting today the entire district is somber, and is dreading the moment the bloodbath begins. The Games begin in a couple hours, and after the mandatory viewing, I start my new job. I dread going back to the Hawthorne's shop today in fear of having to face Gale again after our little conversation last night.

Today I make more trades at the Hob than usual. Meat in exchange for goods, not money. I take half of the sixteen coins Stonerick gave me yesterday, and put them in the collection jar Greasy Sae leaves on her counter.

"That jar's 'bout full, you better take it in to the Justice Buildin' tomorrow, or else it might overflow." Sae informs me as I trade some greens for a bowl of her soup.

"Thanks for helping me get the collection for Katniss up and running Sae, I don't know where else I could put it." I say between sips of the soup.

"Eh, better the money go to helpin' your friend than goin' to waste." She shrugs as if it's nothing, but in reality I think she knows how grateful I am for her helping me raise the money. When I get up to go, I make sure to leave a couple extra coins on Sae's counter.

By the time I get out to the Town Square, it's full of people awaiting the dreadful airing. I can't help but wonder what Kat and Peeta must be thinking right now. I know I would be terrified if I was in their position. Before I can think on the thought for too long, Charm finds me in the crowd.

"Hey, you doing alright?" I can tell by her question that she's genuinely concerned about me, and can probably tell I didn't get any sleep last night.

"Yeah, I'm fine." The response is short, but I don't feel like talking about the subject much at the moment. I can tell she's looking for a subject that would be good to talk about as we walk across the square.

"So, what happened between you and the old hag at the lauder mat?"

I groan. "How did you know about that?"

"Let's just say that news spreads pretty quickly around town. Anyway, what happened? Did you try to throw a bucket of water on her to see if the witch would melt?"

Her comment makes me laugh for the first time in days. "No, she tried to rip me off, so I told her I wouldn't put up with her bitchy attitude anymore."

Charm lets out a small laugh. "And then in the same day, you get hired at the jewelry shop?"

"Trust me when I say that I have no idea how that really happened. I guess Stonerick was just looking for some help, and he noticed how much I loved his work, so he hired me."

"At least something's going right for once."

"Yeah, and hopefully that luck will be with Kat for the next couple weeks."

"Come on Madge, you know she'll be the one to come back home. Katniss is strong and she's pretty deadly with a bow. She'll be back home before we know it."

"I know, but I wish there was a way for both Kat and Peeta to come back home." The thought surprised me as much as it did Charm. I didn't realize what I said until the words were out in the open. Well fall into silence while Charm contemplates my words.

"Who knows, maybe they will."

"Hey, earth to Charm, the Games don't work like that. There can only be one Victor." But she doesn't appear to listen to me.

"You know, if Haymitch plays the whole 'star crossed lovers' angle enough-no. No, you're right. The idea is ridiculous. Well, he could play the angle enough to help them survive even longer, get more sponsor money, that kind of thing."

I laugh again. "Yeah, I doubt that drunk could really do that much. He's probably already buried in his booze for the day and isn't coherent enough to even watch the bloodbath."

"With Haymitch, you may find yourself surprised." I don't have the chance to ask her what she means by that because Prim comes over to us, and we drop the subject. "Anyway," Charm starts again. "We should probably find seats soon. Games start in less than five."

My stomach knots itself. In less than five minutes Kat and Peeta will be in the midst of the bloodbath.

The three of us find seats up toward the front. Charm stays with Prim and I rather than going up to sit with her family. We sit, anxiously awaiting the screens to show us the arena. When they flash on the giant screen in front of us, I hear Prim release a held breath. The arena is mainly forest. An environment Kat is used to. I study the arrangement of tributes around the cornucopia. Peeta and Kat are a good distance apart and as the countdown begins, Katniss' face lights up when she spots the bow in the mouth of the cornucopia.

"No Kat, don't be stupid." I mumble.

As the countdown reaches ten, Kat spots Peeta who is shaking his head at her. He's telling her not to go for the bow. I mentally thank Peeta, but Katniss is distracted when the gong finally rings, and doesn't snap out of her daze for a few seconds. As soon as she recovers she runs for an orange pack on the ground. When she reaches it another tribute grabs it at the same time. They grabble over the pack until blood splatters over Kat's face and the other tribute falls to the ground, dead. As Kat takes off for the woods, Clove, the district two girl, chases after her, throwing knives. Kat catches one of the knives in her backpack and disappears. The cameras cut off of her as she vanishes, and they focus on the bloodbath. I cover Prim's eyes as the screen shows children being hacked to pieces and slaughtered.

The bloodbath kills eleven children this year, almost half. But the most surprising part is when Peeta asks the careers if he can join them. They accept his offer when he says he can help them find Katniss. My heart sinks. How is that the same Peeta that I've known for years? No, I refuse to believe that's the same kindhearted boy from our district. Within minutes of Peeta's alliance with the careers, the viewing ends. We're allowed and encouraged to watch more of the Games at home, but it's not mandatory like today was.

While I'm still in my stupor, Charm comforts Prim, telling her Peeta has a reason for what he's doing, and saying that Katniss will be coming back home in no time. Charm tells me that she'll make sure Prim gets home safely while I go to work. I reluctantly let them go, watching as they disappear into the distance.

I slowly make my way to the Hawthorne's. Reluctant to have to face Gale any sooner than necessary. Unfortunately, when I enter the building, Gale is the one at the counter.

"So, you decided to come back, after last night?"

"Were you trying to scare me away? Because you didn't do a very good job, pretty boy." I sneer at him, and he sighs.

"I didn't mean what I said, I was just upset and took my all of my built up anger out on you, okay? I'm not too happy about what I did either, but I can't really change that now." I stare at him with raised eyebrows, unsure if I should trust what he says. "Look, if we're going to be working together, we may as well get along, okay? Let's just put the past behind us so you can start your training." He offers his hand out for me to shake, as if that will make it an official deal. I slowly put my hand up and shake his, practically ripping it away from his grasp after one shake.

"Good." He throws a brand new smock at me. "Let's start training."

"Wait, you're the one who's going to be training me?"

"Yup, and I'm just as happy about it as you are." He replies sarcastically. "So com'n blondie, let me give you a tour and show you all the machinery." He says as he heads to the back room, and I scowl at him for the new nickname.

I enter the back room as I'm tying the smock behind my back. My first impression is astonishment. Hazelle had shown me everything in the front part of the shop yesterday- the hand tools, the beading, and other small or simple parts of the craft. But the back room holds either four or five large machines to help in the jewelry crafting process. Gale spends the next couple hours giving me an in-depth tour of the back room. He explains the machines in the room by telling me what they're used for, what they do, how to manage them and get them to work, as well as how to repair them in the event that one should break. He teaches me the stages of jewelry making. First is creating the design, the concept sketching. The design can either be a rough sketch of the artist's vision or a completed draft. The next step is model making. The patterns of the already sketched design are used as a guide to help create a mold for the actual piece. You pour the chosen metal into the mold, let it set and then take the newly shaped metal out of the mold. This part is also where you can apparently used wire wrapping, hammered or non-molded pieces, but you have to be extremely careful to pay attention to the pattern of the jewelry piece. And the final step is finishing the craft. After taking the piece out of the mold it then needs to be buffed and polished. This is also the step when gemstones and other decorative pieces are added. If the decorative piece needs to be soldered into the mold, then that is done before the buffering and polishing. The last thing you do when creating a new piece is setting the stone so that no damage comes to any part of the piece.

A clock on the wall chimes, signaling to us that it was one in the afternoon. "Com'n, lunch time." Gale says as he nudges my arm with his elbow. He rises from the chair next to me and walkes over to the divide between the shop and his house. "You coming blondie?" He motions to me as he disappears. I inwardly growl as I get up to follow him. Untying my smock as I enter the kitchen behind him.

"You're not going to verbally attack me again today are you?" I meant it as more of a joke, but I made sure some bitterness made its way into my tone.

I heard a scoff as Gale closed a few cabinets, getting ingredients out to make lunch. "I thought we had agreed to forget about that."

I shrugged. "Yeah, well I guess I can kinda hold a grudge."

"Ha, I'll have to keep that in mind in the future." I stood there awkwardly, not sure of what to do while the brunette made his way around the kitchen. "You know," He started quietly. "I really am sorry about what I said last night. It was out of line and I had no right to say any of that." Another silence overtook us as I tried to find the right words to respond with.

"I told you no more apologies." I said lamely, and I wanted to slap myself immediately after the words left my mouth.

"I know. I just," He stopped himself and sighed. "My parents would probably disown me if they thought I didn't apologize to you after all that I said, so…" The way he hesitated and how he had his sentence trail off at the end made it seem as if he changed the words he was going to say at the last minute. Ignoring his weak excuse, I walk over to the counter Gale was preparing lunch on, wondering what he was making.

"Anything I can help you with?" I offered. If the two of us will be working together, I may as well try to be friendly and stop being so hostile.

"Go ahead and make your own sandwich if you want." He gestured to the various meat, cheese and bread on the counter. I knew that the Hawthornes were better off than most people in the district, but in the Seam, this meal would be like a feast. I took considerably smaller amounts than Gale, considering I wasn't close to his size and wasn't used to having so much food. It didn't take long for me to finish making a small meal for myself, but by the time I was finished, Gale had his made and had even gotten glasses of water for the two of us.

We stood at the counter to eat rather than sitting down at the table. For the most part, our meal passed in silence, both of us concentrating on eating rather than speaking with one another. I kept trying to think of conversation starters, but nothing came to mind. What could I even talk to Gale about? It probably didn't matter anyway. I doubt that he would want to talk more than what was necessary. But, I was proven wrong when he began a conversation himself.

"That pin that you wore on reaping day, where did you get it?" The question takes me aback.

"Well, I didn't steal it. I can assure you of that." I spit out before I can stop myself. Gale seems to ignore my angry choice of words and continues to stare down as his plate.

"My dad gave it to you, didn't he?" I can feel my eyebrows furrow at his question.

"Yeah, he snuck it into the pouch he always puts money in after we trade. I didn't realize that he put it in there until right before the reaping."

"My dad had always said that it belonged to someone from Town who had to sell it. He told me that he hated that she was forced to make the sale, and that he would try to get the pin back where it belonged." He looked up at me, as if expecting me to elaborate about the story.

"It was my aunt's pin." I began quietly. "When she was sixteen years old she was reaped, that was the same year Haymitch won. The two of them actually teamed up in the arena, but she was killed by mutts only a few minutes after they split apart." I don't know why I'm telling this story to Gale of all people, maybe because no one has ever asked me about it before. So many people in the district already know, and they all try not to mention anything about Maysilee to anyone in my family. "The pin was her token when she was in the Games."

"And you gave it to Catnip when she left didn't you?" His tone is rising slightly, as if going back to normal. I nod in response.

"I thought Katniss would want to have something to help her remember home during the Games."

"I'm surprised they let her wear that considering…" His voice trails off again.

"Considering what? That it's already been a token for a fallen tribute in the games?" That would be my best guess.

"Com'n blondie, think about what's on the pin. What kind of bird is it?"

"A mockingjay."

"Exactly, and mockingjays aren't supposed to exist. They're the product of an animal that was supposed to be killed off by the Capitol, but somehow found a way to survive, and even reproduce." I want to tell him that I know all of this, and that I don't need someone to lecture me on things I already know.

"So, why is it a shock to you that they let the token go back into the arena?"

"For the same reason the Gamemakers sent those mutts after your aunt. Hell, they'll probably make sure Kat-girl dies in the arena too for that matter."

"I seriously doubt that one little token could provoke the Capitol _that_ much, they know that doesn't fair well with Capitol citizens, they prefer watching tributes kill one another." It's a sick detail about the games, but in a strange way, it helps calm me during our little debate. It's one less way Kat could die.

"I can't believe that you're still oblivious of the fact that you practically sentenced your friend to death." He scoffs again, and this time my blood begins to boil.

"And what the hell is that supposed to mean? I indirectly killed my best friend?"

"Pretty much sums it up." I'm fuming now. How dare he accuse me of something like that? Especially after everything he said last night.

His voice drops low, as if he doesn't want anyone else to hear. "Look, in the Gamemaker's and Snow's eyes, that mockingjay pin is a jab at the Capitol. It's a clear statement that the Capitol isn't all powerful, and that won't settle well with them. To them, it's a challenge. And the fact that district twelve is always the underdog in the Games and Katniss is doing so well, that makes it even worse. They will do anything they can to make sure she doesn't make it out of that arena alive. More so now that she's wearing that pin. Snow doesn't fair well with symbols of rebellion, even if they are small."

_A symbol of rebellion? _

Gale only gives me a few seconds to digest everything he just said. "Anyway, lunch is over. Now it's time to see how you fair on making those designs real." He pulls my on my wrist and drags me back out to the shop before I can even protest.

*****Time Skip*****

I had trouble staying awake on my walk back to the Seam. Between everything that happened today and the lack of sleep last night, I was exhausted.

After lunch Gale had me try to create one of my designs without any help from him. Needless to say, whatever it is I made was a disaster. He only told me how the machines worked and I hadn't had any time to practice with them as I had just started training. It was almost as if Gale had thrown me off the deep end and expected me to create a perfect piece. Everything I attempted to make turned out being disastrous. It was almost as if Gale had made me try just to laugh at my failure. He knew I didn't know anything about the craftsmanship before today, and yet he left me on my own.

As soon as I get back to my house in the Seam, I collapse on my bed and the moment my head hits the pillow I'm asleep.

I wake up early in the morning when the sun isn't even all the way in the sky yet. That means I have some extra time for hunting this morning before I have to go back to the _wonderfu_l institute of school. I get dressed and grab my game bag from the corner on my room. When I enter into the front room of our house, I see my mother sitting up on the couch, with bloodshot eyes and looking as if she just saw Maysilee die again, but this time like it was right in front of her. She does nothing as I greet her with a 'good morning'. She sits as still as a statue, unmoving. I make my way over to dad in the small kitchen.

"Morning Dad."

"Hey, sweetie. How have the past couple days been?" He asks while engulfing me in his arms. I decide to tell him everything that has happened at a later time. Instead I question him about mom.

"Well, your mother was doing considerably better on the way to the Capitol, but things took a turn for the worse when we got to her appointment. The doctor told us that whatever it is your mother has is terminal. He tried to administer a new medicine to her, but whatever the effect was, it did nothing to help."

"At least they tried something." I muttered, trying to look on the Brightside. With everything going on right now, I'm not sure how well I would manage something else happening. "So why is she like that right now?"

Dad sighs. "I wish they hadn't tried the new medicine."

"You don't mean… that cause her to be like this?"

He only nods, confirming my question. "And it gets worse. The new drug they gave your mother is attacking the morphling that has been in her body. That means we can't give her any more morphling for about a three more days, even if she needs it. The new medicine that is in her system though, has acted like a catalyst for the disease she has. Instead of giving us a time range of five to ten years again, they gave us one of ten days to six months." He finishes and the house is dead silent. I don't even know what to say.

"I- I need have to go." I say, and I'm out the door before my dad can reply.

I make it twenty feet from the door before I burst into a sprint. Everything feels as if it's closing in on me. I can't breathe again. Even once I'm out of the district I can't breathe. I feel like the air inside my lungs has been poisoned, that I'm slowly being suffocated from the inside out. My mother is dying. My mother is dying even after the Capitol promised they would do whatever they could to heal her. The drug they gave her made it worse. Whichever Capitol doctor my mother had could have cured her, but instead gave her something to worsen her condition.

This single thought fuels the fire for other thoughts to follow. What if the Capitol caused this illness in the first place? As a way to make sure my dad didn't step out of line. To make sure that he followed their every order, and they could wave my mother's condition in front of him if he ever felt rebellious toward Snow.

My thoughts are put on hold as I hear leaves ruffling behind the tree I'm leaning on. The ruffling is a distance away, and I can't tell what kind of animal it is. I quickly pull out a few knives from their sheath. I throw one at the squirrel in front of me, and another at a rabbit exiting a bush to my right. I prepare my other knife and pull out a second. I throw one low and close to the forest floor as I turn. I get ready to aim the second as my vision adjusts, but I don't release it. I hear a groan and a thud. My grip on the knife loosens and I can't stop a small laugh from bubbling out of my chest.

"What the hell are you doing? You could have stabbed me!" Gale of all people is out in the woods, and slumped against a large tree. I see a mark my knife made on his shoe as it must have grazed by.

"What am I doing out here? What's a privileged little boy from town doing venturing out into the woods? Did you get lost Hawthorne?" My questions are answer by a scowl rather than actual words as Gale pushes himself off the ground.

"What do you think I'm doing out here? I'm gathering a haul of my own." He says as he gestures to the snare line that Kat and I had been so careful of for so many years.

"Wait, that snare line is yours? What the hell do you need game for?" But he ignores my last question.

"Yeah blondie, the line is mine. And last week someone cut one of my snares, have any ideas as to who?"

I shrug."Maybe you should watch where you place your traps." Any trace of humor that was in my tone before has now vanished.

"And maybe you should watch where you step." He growls. He's close enough that the fact that he towers over me in height has become extremely evident.

"Why do you assume it was me that got caught in your snare?"

"Because blondie, there's no one else out here, let alone someone more oblivious than you who could have gotten caught in the snare. I mean, how blind and careless and idiotic do you-"

His sentence is cut short as a loud crack echoes throughout the woods. My palm stings from where it connected with Gale's face, and I see a red mark already forming on his cheek.I retrieve my game from the forest floor and gather my knives. Gale just stands there, still shocked by the fact that I actually slapped him.

"So much for starting over, huh? You know what- I don't think you'll ever learn how to not be such an ass. I get that you're angry from everything that's going on, so am I. Maybe you should try doing something positive for once, maybe that'll help make a difference rather than yelling at people." I then turn on my heel and leave. "By the way, you may want to put some ice on that cheek to make sure it doesn't bruise."

**And another chapter done! I'm also free from my room finally. Anyway, updates probably won't be as frequent with school starting and everything, but I'll try to update once every one to two weeks if not sooner. Okay so, please remember to review, follow, favorite (whatever you deem fit) and I'll see you guys next chapter. **


	8. Baby Steps

**Hey y'all, so first thing, sorry the delay in updates, I've been swamped with homework already and have barely had any time at home or to read. I feel horrible leaving this story untouched for almost two weeks. I'm working on organizing my schedule so I won't have to leave you guys for so long between updates. From now on, unless I have days off from school or a large amount of time, updates will be on weekends for the most part.. Okay, anyway, I would like to send thanks to ****royacarmelle**** and quickwolf for the story follows and favorites, as well as royacarmelle, ****Lemon-Drop24****, ****ForFutureReference****, ****GoChlollie****, ****AVG18****, ****anonime, and Jasmine for the fantastic reviews! **

**As many of you may have guessed, the Games will go on as cannon, so I won't spend too much time describing them. Although the first part of this chapter is mainly Games, so if you really want to you can skip over it.**

**(Disclaimer: I don't own these characters, [with the exception of my OC's] but I think this is where the story will start to pick up a bit with Gadge stuff.)**

**Chapter Eight: Baby Steps.**

Fire. Katniss is being chased through the Arena by a gigantic Gamemaker manufactured fire. Prim's grip on my hand tightens as one fireball grazes her sister's calf and Kat cries out in pain. I quickly envelope the small blonde into my arms, blocking her view of the screen with my own body- I can barely watch what's happening right now, and Prim doesn't need to see Kat getting hurt. The Gamemakers are up to something, they are aiming the fireballs around Katniss, but not directly at her. On one hand it looks like they are trying to kill her themselves, but the Capitol audience won't find any entertainment in a death like that. And on the other hand it looks like they are only trying to scare her and mess with her head.

My heart skips a beat as the screen flashes from a terrified Katniss, to the career pack and then back to the image of Kat running. Whatever beat my heart had skipped over seconds ago, apparently the muscle is now trying to regain the lost beat- my heart begins racing so much, I'm surprised it hasn't flown out of my chest yet. The Gamemakers are luring Kat straight to her death. As soon as Kat reaches the creek I want to yell at her that she needs to get moving, she has to get away from there. But she stays sitting in the winding creek, relaxing in the cool water and probably soothing her burns. The careers have to be getting close by now- it's a miracle they haven't found her yet. Maybe the Gamemakers didn't actually lead Kat to the careers. I know that it's a ridiculous idea, but for once, I let myself hope this is true.

As soon as the thought pops into my head, my grip around Prim accidently loosens. Unfortunately, the sound of laughter and loud footsteps filled the silent district square.

"Over there!"

"There she is!"

Kat's eyes widen and she scrambles to get out of the water before the careers reach her. When she finally gets out of the water she's running, at a fairly good pace too considering her burned leg, until she came across a small opening in the thickly vegetated forest. Katniss quickly climb up a tree, narrowly avoids getting killed by the pack. The careers follow after her quickly and the boy from two starts trying to climb up the tree, going after Kat. His form is too large and bulky thankfully, and he falls to the ground. A small part of me wishes he would have fallen on his own sword and died right then and there (I mean come on, who climbs a tree with a huge knife in their hands?), but I knew that's exactly what the Capitol wants. The Capitol wants the people in the districts to start turning on each other, one district betraying the trust of another. So I quickly force the thought out of my head.

Peeta's voice breaks through the silence between the career's threats and Kat's taunting. "Oh, let her stay up there. It's not like she's going anywhere. We'll deal with her in the morning." His voice was still gentle, and his face looked the same as it always has, but I still had trouble thinking that this was the real Peeta.

"Lover boy's got a point." Clove stated.

"Fine." Her district partner Cato spit, and he begins to bark out orders. "Marvel and Clove go look for firewood. Glimmer and Peeta, start setting up camp."

Hours pass and soon dusk has fallen in the arena as well as in district twelve. Katniss receives medicine for her burns, and the careers take turns keeping watch and sleeping. Most people have cleared out of the square, and I decide it's time for Prim to go home. After all, she does have school tomorrow. I debate whether or not I should go home, go hunting in the woods or go back and watch how the next part of the games play out. I walk Prim home in silence. I don't want to say anything that may upset the small girl, and she doesn't seem to have anything to say. Mrs. Everdeen sends Prim straight to bed once we enter through the door and thanks me for walking Prim home. I don't linger in their house, so I turn around and leave the small building after saying good-bye and giving Prim a small hug.

Now I have to decide where I want to go, the house, the woods, or back to watching the Games.

After a few minutes of indecision I finally decide to head back to the viewing screen in town. I seriously doubt I could get any sleep if I went to my house not knowing how Kat was handling her current situation. And I would be too distracted if I went into the woods. The district square was just as empty as when I took Prim home, only a few wanderers remained. I looked around the small area, hoping to find a familiar face, but Charm was among the majority of the district who went home. While searching the square I made brief eye contact with Gale. Just the sight of him replayed the sound of my hand hitting his face. And the memory echoed in my head. Just like our previous encounters, anger began to brew in his eyes as he spotted me, and I felt like I couldn't look away. The ever-changing color of his eyes kept my attention and prevented me from tearing my line of sight away. I half expected Gale to storm over to where I stood and yell at me again. I felt my fists clench as I remembered all of the horrible and idiotic words that came out of his mouth. This time, if he decided to give me a piece of his mind, I was ready to give him a piece of mine- I would show him that I'm not just a poor defenseless girl from the Seam.

But surprisingly, Gale stayed in his spot on the other side of the square, talking to a few of his friends from town. Once I finally broke eye contact with him, I found my way to the edge of the small, pathetic looking fountain stationed in the middle of the square. I sat down in front of the waterless fountain, and let my back rest on the miniature stone wall.

Kat was still stuck in the tree, but the medicine she received to treat her burns seemed to be working, and was now able to maneuver around her tree easily. The careers remained stationed under the large oak, some sleeping while other watched guard. Peeta was supposed to be asleep, I think, but instead he stayed awake. It looked like he was studying the large wooden tree in front of him, as if he was attempting to memorize every detail and calculate some sort of strategy.

I still had trouble understanding why Peeta would voluntarily join the careers, especially after he confessed his love for Katniss over national television. It didn't make sense to me. None of his actions reflected the boy I knew who decorated cakes at the bakery. It didn't seem to be the same boy who had only left the district one week ago. But that's what the Games do. They transform you into something besides yourself, and you have no control over it in the life or death situation. I spent the next few minutes pondering the idea before my eyelids began to drift shut.

"Madge, Madge wake up." I eyes shot open and I was temporarily blinded by the few rays of sunlight pouring from the rising sun. Once my eyes adjusted to the light I noticed Charm standing over me. "You may want to see this." She warned. Her tone was upset and it took me a few moments to realize she was attempting to direct my attention to the screen.

It was hard to see, as it was also somewhat dark in the arena, but it looked like Kat was sawing away at a tree branch. Why would she be trying to saw off a tree branch? I understand that it would fall down on the Careers, but what good would that do? It may hit someone, but that'll only anger them even more, and make them want to kill her faster. If she was lucky the branch could hit one of them on the head, and then there would be one less tribute to worry about. Then Katniss hits her neck, as if something was biting at her and my eyesight drifted to the end of the branch.

Hanging off the edge was a trackerjacker nest. The smoke from the fire yesterday must have coaxed them into sleep, and Kat was using them as a tool. As soon as the nest hit the ground those Capitol made bugs would sting the Careers, causing them to scramble and hopefully letting Katniss get away.

"The little girl from eleven showed her the nest. She's been tree hopping, and apparently she decided to help Katniss out with her situation." Charm rambles off a few other occurrences from what happened in the Games while I was asleep. No other deaths, but the Capitol commentators are practically jumping out of their seats, anticipating the fall of the lethal nest. Katniss gets stung by trackerjackers two more times before the branch is finally released from the rest of the tree.

The second the next makes contact with the ground, chaos occurs. The sleeping alliance immediately wakes up and scrambles to avoid getting stung and bolting from the sight. Glimmer doesn't get too far before she's overwhelmed with the wasps and falls to the ground. Her skin is puffy and green slime begins to ooze from her body as her cannon sounds. She's the only one who died from the 'nest bombing', and Katniss tries to quickly make her way out of the tree. She climbs down too fast though and her foot slips off its hold. Kat plummets to the earth, but almost immediately gets up, although she does walk with a slight limp. Most of the wasps have cleared from the area, but a few more manage to sting Katniss. She needs to get out of there before she gets too many stings. Instead of making a run for in like she should, Kat makes her way to Glimmer's lifeless body, carefully sliding the bow and quiver of arrows from the dead girl's grasp.

Katniss stumbles away from the body and rests against a tree. The hallucinations must be starting which means it won't be too long before Kat is either unconscious or another tribute takes advantage of her vulnerability and kills her. What happens next is a surprise to everyone in the audience. Peeta rushes over to Kat and forces her to keep moving, getting away from the old campsite. It takes a few tries but she eventually takes his advice and starts moving away from the area, soon vanishing into another part of the woods before passing out. Cato finds Peeta moments later and realizes what he just did. The two boys circle each other- both are slightly affected by the trackerjacker venom as they stumble every few steps. After a few short minutes Cato manages to land a large slash upon Peeta's right thigh, before succumbing to the venom.

The screen goes black. Only the Capitol has constant viewing so the districts have to deal with the schedule the Capitol allows us. And cutting off the live feed as soon as most of the major players in the Games are in an incoherent state must have been a ploy to get more district citizens to watch even more. They are leaving us with a major cliffhanger and we have no idea when the feed will be back up. It could be gone until the next mandatory viewing in a few days.

"You alright Madge?" A soft voice asks me from the side.

I want to reply saying no, my best friend is knocked out in the arena and completely vulnerable. ANY tribute could find her and kill her just like that. And I'll have absolutely no idea how she is because the feed is cut out. Hell, Katniss could be dead right now and I would have no idea that anything happened. The anger in me is red hot and I feel like I might explode.

"Okay, stupid question, but Madge, think about it this way, Katniss' biggest threats are out of commission right now too. She's not the only one, and the Capitol won't let anything important happen until all five of them are back on their feet." She pauses for a minute waiting for a reply, but I don't offer one up. "Maybe you should go into the woods for a bit, get some of your anger out and make a few trades before school starts. You have about three hours until then. Go." She finally orders when I don't make any movements. "See you at lunch." She states once I'm headed toward my safe haven, the woods.

Once I'm out of sight I begin to run which ends up helping me get rid of the anger that was seething in my mind beforehand. I make a quick trip into the woods today. I collect enough to feed both my family and the Everdeens, and gather a few greens to trade with Sae at the Hob. I drop the meet off at their respectful houses and practically sprint to the Hob. I trade the greens with Sae and in return I get a bowl of stew for breakfast.

"You better take that jar into the Justice Building, girlie. Get it out of here before it fills over even more and people start to grab at the coins." Sae tells me. I do a quick calculation in my head- if I run to the Justice Building I may have time to drop off the money before school starts. I quickly inhale my soup, pick my game bag up off the floor and the coin jar from the counter before dashing out of the old coal building.

By the time I reach the Justice building, my lungs are on fire and I'm practically wheezing as I ascend the hundred steps to the receptionist. She looks at me with disgust for a few seconds before I tell her what the money is for. She claims she will patch the money through sometime today and then orders me to stop pestering her about the subject.

I quick step my way down the stairs trying to make decent time, but not going too fast as I am still regaining my breath from earlier. I watch my feet as I take each step, careful not to fall down the wooden steps. Once I reach the end of the steps and make a turn to exit the building I collide with another body moving the opposite way. I end up sitting on the floor and so does the person I crashed into.

"Ouch." The other person states, as he also ended up landing on the floor. "Sorry about that, I should've watched where I was going." The boy gets up and then offers his hand to help me up. I hesitantly put my hand in his and he pulls me onto my feet. This guy seems extremely familiar, but I can't place his face. He looks about my age, maybe a year older, and he has dark brown (almost black) hair, stormy grey eyes and dark olive skin. I know automatically that he's from the Seam, but for the life of me I can't think of his name. His build isn't too large, he looks like a normal guy, and he's only about five inches taller than me. A flash of recognition sweeps across his face.

"Hey Madge, it's been a while, hasn't it?" He states as a smile creeps onto his face. Wait a minute, I know that smile.

"Long enough to not recognize you at first, Kyne." I reply back with my own smile. Kyne used to be one of my closest friends when I moved to the Seam, back before Katniss and I stopped hating each other. He used to be like an older brother to me. We would do everything together, but that was back when we were careless little kids. Once Kat and I became friends and I realized how bad my mother's condition was, we just stopped hanging out. Within weeks all talking between the two of us came to a complete halt. We've seen each other only a few times since we stopped hanging out, which may explain why I could barely recognize him. I used to be taller than him, but that's changed along with most of his appearance. Kyne no longer looks like a scrawny little boy, but now like a well-built young man.

"Well, why don't we walk and talk at the same time. If I'm late for school one more time I'm pretty sure I'll get in major trouble."

I nod, and we begin the walk to school together. A wind of warm spring air hits us as we exit the building.

"So what were you doing in the Justice Building?"

He laughs slightly. "I could ask you the same thing Madge, but since you asked first, I guess I'll answer. I was signing up for some tesserae for my family. Jake is too old to be reaped anymore and my mom doesn't want Lynn to start signing herself up for tesserae unless we absolutely need it. You weren't signing up for your own, were you?"

I shake my head. "No. I started a collection for Katniss at the Hob and I just turned the money in."

"A collection? As in sponsor money?"

"Yeah, I figured it's the least I can do to help her get out of the Arena alive."

Kyne laughs again. "You really haven't changed much these past few years have you Madge?"

"What do you mean?" I ask as my eyebrow knit together in slight confusion.

"I mean, that even now, you try to put other people's needs before your own. It's sweet that you care about your friend so much and are so confident that she'll be coming back. You're still the adorable and tough girl I used to know."

My face becomes warm and I try to figure out what to say, but all words in my mind turn to mush. I can't think of anything to say back- it's like my mind has decided to go on vacation at one of the worst times. I still can't think of something to say to Kyne by the time that we get to school and have to go our separate ways.

The first half of the days goes on just like it does every day. Teachers are giving lectures while students take notes. The annual trip down to the mines is coming up next week. A majority of kids in the class zone out, blocking out the teachers as they try to enforce Capitol propaganda down our throats. The morning classes creep by, and by the time the lunch bell rings, everyone is ready to get out of those classrooms.

I make my way to the same table Charm and I always sit at.

"You alright now?" She asks as I take my seat across from her.

"Yeah, thanks for that earlier." If it wasn't for her practically forcing me to go to the woods I probably would've exploded right there in the square.

"Eh, what else are friends for?" Charm shrugs the topic off, as if it's no big deal. That's one thing I envy about Charm, even in the worst situations she keeps a level head, she thinks reasonably rather than with her emotions.

"Well, well, if it isn't the little rat from the Seam." A deep voice starts from behind me. I recognize it almost immediately. "Looks like your friend has gotten herself into a bit of trouble. Still think that pathetic little bitch is going to make it out of the arena?"

"What the hell do you want Taino?" I spit at him.

"Aw, now, why do you have to be so hostile? I'm just trying to make simple conversation." He's now standing between Charm and I at the edge of the table. A horrible grin is spreading across his face. I slow my breathing down, trying to calm myself down so I don't lash out at him like I did last week.

"Just leave Taino." Charm orders.

"Or else what? You'll go complain to _daddy_ that I was harassing your friend? You know he'll never listen to you. I am his favorite after all. You know, I bet he would think you're a disgrace for hanging around such low life scum like this girl. Hell, I know I'm ashamed to call you my sister right now."

On impulse, I stand, ready to hit Taino, but I stop myself. If I hit him, I'll be the one held responsible and I'll be the one getting in trouble. "Madge." Charm quietly warns.

"Why don't you learn to shut your mouth, Taino. Go bother someone else, neither one of us want to deal with your bull." I warn. I let my anger seep into the words, letting him know loud and clear that I don't want to deal with him right now.

"Oh," He looks over his shoulder to his friends. "It looks like I made the little rat mad. What are you going to do, bite me?"

"Don't try me." I'm glaring daggers at him now.

"Go ahead then little girl, show me what you've got." He's baiting me. I have to back down now, before I actually do attack him.

"Forget it, you're not worth it." It damages my pride a bit, but I know it's for the best. I go to sit back down, but he grabs my arm, pulling me upward and shoving me backwards.

"No, you're not getting out of this that easily." Taino lunges at me, aiming his fist at my face, but I duck out of the way before he makes contact. The force of his punch makes him stumble straight into another table. Causing any food on the table to splatter on its occupants.

"Taino, stop this." Charm tries to order, but her brother pays no attention. Instead, one of his lackey's throws another punch at me. I barely manage to avoid getting hit, but now I realize that this isn't just a one on one fight. Another boy lunges at me, but this time I grab him by the wrist and spin his arm around, behind his back. He takes the blunt of a hit from Taino and then falls to the ground. Another lunge. I manage to block the hit from my face, but the fist catches my left shoulder. I feel my face slightly contort in pain. In return I kick the guy in the shin.

I spin to avoid another punch from Taino, but he changes ideas and kicks the back of my left knee. I hold back a yelp as my leg crumbles beneath me. Another punch is thrown, but I duck in just enough time that it ends up hitting the person behind me.

I turn to look and I see Gale standing behind me, holding Taino's fist in his hand. "You know, four against one seems a bit unfair." He growls as he forces Taino back.

"I don't need your help." I mumble to Gale.

Taino rushes one more time, but this time, I let my fist connect with his face. My hand starts to throb from crashing against his hard skull.

"What is going on in here?" I shrill voice calls out, and one of the upper level teachers stalks over to our spot in the cafeteria.

Taino is the first to speak up. "This girl," He states while pointing at me. "Just came after my friends and me after we asked her a polite question about her friend in the Games. She just attacked us completely unprovoked."

I see Charm try to say something, but I cut her off. This is my battle, I can defend myself.

"He's lying. He tried to punch me and then so did his friends. I was just trying to defend myself."

But the teacher only scoffs. "That is absurd. Why would a Victor's son try to cause a ruckus in the school house? It makes no sense to me. Now, for your punishment young lady, you have detention after school. Report to my room after school and I will issue your duties for detention." She turns and begins to stalk out of the cafeteria.

But then Gale speaks up. "Wait, Mrs. Byrd. She's trying to defend me, the fight was my fault. She tried to break it up and got caught in the middle. If someone is to get detention it should be me." I stare at him in shock, what the hell just happened? Am I dreaming right now?

"That was a valiant attempt Mr. Hawthorne, but I did witness this girl hitting Taino Hain. But, if you insist on taking a detention as well, then you will also report to my room after school for detention. And that is the end of that." She states as the bell rings and people flood out of the cafeteria and back to class.

"Are you okay, do you need any help?" Gale asks as I slowly gather my things.

"I'm fine, although I don't see why you care." I snap at him. "And no, I don't need your help. Why did you even do that?" I ask, but I leave for class before he has the chance to answer. The throbbing in my hand and shoulder has gotten worse, and my knuckles are beginning to turn purple already. My left leg is pulsing with pain from where Taino's kick landed.

But even better, I have to spend hours after school in detention with Gale Hawthorne. _Great, that's just what I need right now._

**Woohoo! Finally done and updated! Sorry about such a long wait. I'm going to try to update more often from now on. Anyway, please review and follow or favorite and tell me what you think! See ya next chapter. **


	9. A Mutual Understanding

**Hey Guys, Happy Wednesday! Sorry about such a long gap between updates again. I've been having a lot of crap going on as well as a bit of writers block. I have most of this story planned out, but this upcoming part is kinda choppy so I may need some time to figure everything out. If you have an ideas or suggestions please let me know via review or PM please. Gadge is picking up slightly, and I hope you all like the chapter. Of course, though, I have to thank all my amazing readers and reviewers ForFutureReference, GoChlollie, Jasmine, Lemon-Drop24, royalcarmelle and UrbanFreeKid. All of you are fantastic and your reviews help me continue writing. Enjoy, and please remember to leave me a review telling me what you think. **

**(Disclaimer: I do not own anything from the Hunger Games, that all belongs to the great Suzanne Collins.)**

**Chapter Nine: A Mutual Understanding**

**Gale's POV**

Detention. Just the way I wanted to spend my day after school. And I didn't even do anything to deserve getting detention-the first detention of my life. Okay, maybe that's a lie. I've had detention a few times in past years because of frequent lateness to class or for skipping whole classes with Thom. And I did volunteer to take detention on behalf of Blondie, trying to make up for all the shit I said, but that didn't work. I know I haven't really given her a fair chance yet, so I've been trying to find way to make it up to her for my big mouth and stupid comments. In my rash thinking, I tried to help Blondie out as that creep and his cronies attacked her, but I think that only made matters worse between us. And now Ma is probably going to kill me when she finds out I got another detention after I swore I never would again. As soon as I get home I know I'll get the 'you're-the-oldest-brother-and-you –need- to- stop- being- so -irresponsible- you- need- to- be- a- positive- role- model- for- you- younger- siblings- not- goofing- off- and- leading- by- a- negative- example- or -getting- into- fights- at- school' lecture.

Yeah, life is just _perfect_ right now.

I sit in my last class of the day, Panem History. The only thing this class teaches us is that Panem is a supreme superpower nation whose government is always right and wants what is best for its people. Bullshit. All this class is is Capitol manufactured propaganda. I'm starting to think that even the teachers are from the Capitol. They seem completely clueless to the situations of the districts- or to the fact that it's barbaric and sick to watch kids kill one another for sport. Hell, they keep asking us our opinions of the Games, as if they expect us to reply in a cheery manner about both tributes on the brink of death right now.

Most of the people in my class have just stopped paying attention or are asleep at this point. With it being our last year of school, no one really cares. Everyone already knows what they are going to do with their lives- either take over the family business or go off to work in the mines. Those are the only two options in twelve. Hell, I don't even understand why we have to go to school. Maybe because they want to try to brainwash the future generations to fear and admire the Captiol?

I'm in the middle of fake taking notes when a small piece of paper lands on my empty notebook. The parchment is covered in scrawling cursive writing. The inside has a sappy love poem, and says where the girl is sitting in relation to me.

'_Behind you, to the left.'_

I turn to look over my shoulder to see a small blonde girl from town and her friend giggling three desks behind me. This is the _fifth_ love note from a girl today. I try not to show a trace of irritation on my face as I direct my most flirtatious smirk at the girl and give her a quick wink before turning back around front. I swear the girls at the school only get more and more ridiculous as time goes on. Five notes so far today and this one was the mildest. Some girls would be bold with what they said. Sometimes choosing to complement one of my body parts vulgarly or describe certain activities they wanted to participate in. I found both equally disgusting and disturbing. No matter what the notes said, I always tried to dismiss them politely. Otherwise Ma would have one more excuse to kill me. But still, why can't they understand I'm just not interested in them? If I was into them, I would have made a move or let them know.

The bell rings, signaling the end of the day and stopping me from having to deal with any more love letters. I shoulder my backpack and slowly walk to Mrs. Byrd's classroom. The room is almost deserted- Mrs. Byrd wasn't even in here yet. I take a seat at the front to the classroom, close to the door and wait. Blondie comes in a few minutes after me, and avoids any eye contact as she takes a seat on the opposite side of the room.

"Good, neither one of you decided to skip out on your punishment." Mrs. Byrd announces as she walks through the doorway.

"Where's everyone else? Shouldn't that one kid that started the fight be in here too?" I ask. It seems bizarre that there would only be two people in detention- especially since there were four other boys involved in the fight.

"Oh they are Mr. Hawthorne. She's the only other person in the classroom with you."

"I told you, I was defending myself. Taino was the first to throw a punch and then his idiot friends came after me as well." Blondie chimes in to the conversation, her tone very irritated.

Mrs. Byrd scoffs at Blondie's statement. "As I told you before Miss. Undersee, the idea that Taino Hain would assault anyone is utterly preposterous. Why, I can't even imagine why a Victor's child would do such a thing."

The room falls silent, but I swear I hear Blondie mutter something along the lines of "Can't imagine or refuse to recognize the truth because you don't want to get in trouble with his father?" under her breath. If the teacher hears it as well, which I doubt, she doesn't make a remark.

We sit in the classroom for what feels like forever, but in reality it was probably only fifteen minutes before Mrs. Byrd rose out of her seat and started to gather her things. I follow her lead by standing up ready to walk out the door and get out of here.

"And what do you think you are doing Mr. Hawthorne?"

"Uh, aren't you getting ready to go home? That means that detention is done."

The teacher squawks out a laugh. "Oh yes, I am heading home. But you two won't be doing so until the entire school is clean. Once you complete that task, then you are allowed to leave."

"That's completely unfair!" Blondie protests.

"Maybe you should think of that before you start a violent fight with other students." This time, Blondie doesn't even try to defend herself. She crosses her arms over her chest in protest.

"Well, I don't have to work with him, right?" Well then, that stung a bit. Not the words as much as the icy tone. But if Blondie is going to be like that, I would have no trouble being away from her.

"Now that I know you would rather not, yes. You two cannot 'divide and conquer' with the cleaning. You must work together cleaning all of the windows in the school, removing the garbage, sweeping the floors, cleaning toilets, and doing everything else the janitors typically do during their night shift. And don't even think about trying to skip out of this. The janitor crew has been canceled for tonight and I will watch the cameras tomorrow to make sure you both followed my directions." So in other words, we'll be here all night, having to put up with one another until we finish. That's just _great_. "Well, both of you have a good night. And remember, I'll know if you disobey any of my instructions, and you will serve the consequences." And with that, Byrd is gone and the two of us are alone in the room.

"So," I begin awkwardly, trying to break the silence in the room. "Where should we begin?"

Madge rolls her eyes at me and walks out of the room. So naturally, I follow her.

"So I'm guessing you know where we get all of the cleaning supplies at?" No answer. We walk in silence until we reach the janitor's closet. Madge goes in and pulls out two brooms and dustpans, handing one set off to me. I didn't have the dustpan completely in my grip when she hands it off, so gravity took hold and the metal fell to the ground- hitting my foot first and then landing on the floor.

I decided to laugh it off. "You know, my shoe hasn't forgiven you for throwing a knife at it. And now I don't think it's very happy about you dropping metal objects on it too." I try to lighten the mood a bit. After all, we are stuck with each other until we finish cleaning, which would probably be several hours.

I expect a smile or a laugh, or at least a small snort or something, but all Blondie does is roll her eyes again. She acts as if I'm the most irritating person on the planet, and now it looks like she's going to be ignoring me.

"Grab on of the large garbage can. We can go around to each room, empty the trash and put in whatever we pick up off the floor. That should make the cleaning go faster." She orders.

"Sure. One of those two birds, one stone thing right?"

"Yeah, something like that I guess."

I go to grab the garbage cans, taking two instead of one. If I have to lug one of these massive containers around, then so can she. We spend the next hour sweeping the floors up. I keep trying to making conversation, jokes, extremely bad puns, anything to get Madge to do something besides ignore me or roll her eyes, but instead she stays silent. The hour passes excruciatingly slow, and I don't know how many more hours of this I can take. No matter what subject I take, she won't react with more than an eye brow raise. When she finally does speak I almost don't hear her. I almost jump out of my own skin in surprise.

"I'm sorry," She states. "About slapping your face the other day." Her eyes catch mine, making brief eye contact for the first time today. I'm stunned by the fact that she's actually started a conversation, I'm not sure what to say. Right before she speaks again I see a small sparkle in her eye. "And for assaulting your shoe... twice."

I laugh. "You know, I was starting to think you had gone mute or something. But maybe you should apologize to my shoe, let it know how sorry you are."

"That just crossed the line Hawthorne." She says, but I see the sides of her mouth perk up slightly. I've decided that my goal by the end of detention is to get this girl to laugh, and actually hold a conversation. "And don't even think about asking me to kiss your shoe's 'booboo' to make it feel better." She uses a mocking tone and I see the small smile on her face growing slightly.

"Oh, now you've hurt my feelings." I smirk as we empty all of the trash bins into the two large garbage cans. I try to choose my next words carefully so I don't offend Blondie. "So what was with that Taino guy today?"

"Let's just say I have a short temper when it comes to people insulting my friends." Oh yeah, I've figured that out the hard way.

"So he was being an asshole and trying to get a rise out of you."

She sighs. "Pretty much." The faint smile has disappeared from her face, and I realize I brought up a sour topic that leads to a beeline path into a conversation about the Games.

An idea sparks in my mind and I stop walking. "Hey, why don't we try starting over again, and I mean for real this time. No more ridiculous fights-"

"Those were mainly your fault."

"-No more judging one another, no more of me being an idiot by bringing up the Seam/Town divide, and most importantly, no more talk about the Games. Deal?" I hold my hand out in front of me for her to shake. She eyes my hand before hesitantly reaching her own out and grasping mine.

"Deal." Our eyes lock briefly once again before we let go of each other's hand. Madge tears her gaze away as soon as her hand leaves mine. Another silence falls over us as we both try to think of something to say. I can't think of anything to say now that doesn't involve the Games or Peeta. Those are the only two things I can think of that we can both talk about. But Peeta's practically dead, and the odds of the Hunger Games have turned against district twelve.

I have no idea what to say or what to do- So, I start running. Still pushing the garbage bin in front of me.

"What are you doing?" Blondie calls from behind, but I keep running down the hall. I jump on the back of the bin, placing my feet on the metal bar and riding on the back of the plastic container. As soon as I start to lose my balance I hop off the back, my heels digging into the floor as I land.

"Com'n Blondie, try it!" I holler down the almost empty hallway.

"I'm good. I don't really feel like killing myself by falling off a trash bin."

"Com'n, you're not scared or anything, are you?" I taunt, trying to coax her into trying it too.

She scoffs. "Scared, no. Sensible, yes."

"Please?" I start to beg.

"No way in Hell, Pretty boy."

"You're no fun." I pout, starting to walk again. I make sure my head is slightly down so I look disappointed with her answer. I hear a sigh behind me, and think that I lost my chance at getting Blondie to have a bit of fun. All of the sudden I hear the plastic wheels of a cart picking up speed as someone runs down the hallway. A smile spreads across my face as I turn back to see Blondie hopping on the back of the garbage bin and gliding down the hall, faster than I was going. I watch as her face lights up with a smile once she realizes she's not falling.

"You were saying?" She asks as a small giggle erupts from her throat. The smile dissipates slightly as she continues. "Uh, how does this stop?"

"Just jump off, carefully." I offer. Blondie and the bin are getting close to where I'm standing, and her face looks slightly panicked as she bends her knees to jump off. The bin starts to tilt to one side. "Careful!" I warn. Instead of helping, my warning seems to make her tense up, making the tilting worse and soon the wheels give in. The bin starts to tumble over.

I hear a crash of the garbage can sliding across the floor and into the wall. Papers are falling through the air, covering Madge as well as the floor.

"Madge? Madge, are you okay?" I ask, unsure if she hit the wall too, or if she's hurt at all. As soon as I take a few papers off of Madge's face, I see a huge grin spread across her face as she begins to laugh.

Once the laughter dies down a bit I hear her say- "Can we do that again?"

I can't help but chuckle slightly at her response. "Not if you're going to go and crash into walls again. Are you okay?" I offer my hand down to help her up.

She hesitates slightly as she sees my hand. Maybe having a small flashback to the last time I offered a hand to help her up? "Yeah. Head hurts a bit, but I'm alright." She places her hand in mine and I pull her onto her feet. She blinks a few times, but still tries to reassure me that she's fine. I start picking up the garbage that spilled out of the can when it met with the wall.

We manage to empty the cans without any other accidents, and we manage to keep a small conversation going as we clean the toilets in the school. Exchanging words between bathroom stalls. Finally, we are on to our last job of the night, window cleaning. I work on the upper windows and Blondie cleans the lower ones, which works considerably well when you realize that she can't reach the higher parts of the top windows. Another silence has fallen between us as we take a small break, but instead of being awkward, this one is actually comfortable and kind of nice.

"He will survive, you know. Peeta will. He's strong- stronger than most people give him credit for." Her words surprise me for the second time today. She's bringing up the one subject I've worked so hard to avoid all afternoon.

"So will Katniss." I try to reassure her. "She'll be the one who wins it all. You'll have your best friend back in no time."

"I don't want Peeta to die though. I know that if Katniss lets Peeta die she'll never forgive herself. She'll hate herself for not doing something. I keep wishing that there was a way both of them could come home. I think that if either one of them comes home without the other, it'll tear them apart."

"Do you think that she feels that same way about Peeta?"

A small, but sad smile graces her face again, and a few stray rays of sunlight touch her blonde hair, making it glow. "I knew he was being honest. I had wondered for a bit if he was just trying to get sponsors. I don't think she realizes it or wants to acknowledge it, but I'm almost positive Katniss feels something for Peeta. He's one of the only people besides me that has gotten her to smile."

I nod my head. At least Catnip returns the feelings for Peeta. That's something at least. "That's good to hear."

Madge lets out a small groan. "Why does life have to be so unfair? People shouldn't have to be so scared of losing their life for some stupid form of entertainment. It's cruel and sick and twisted, and-"

"And makes you want to personally slap the bastard who even suggested something like that in the first place?" Her eyes are widened in shock. "Trust me- I understand how you feel completely."

She takes a deep breath and looks at the floor as she begins to talk. "I had a conversation with Peeta the day of the reaping- he told me that people from town have it hard too, that it's not just people from the Seam. I guess I was so used to thinking that people from town were privileged enough to have everything they wanted that I was too blind to see that people from town have troubles too. I just guessed that because you had it so well off, you all loved the Capitol."

"Trust me, I know no one in town that loves the Capitol. Most despise them as much as people from the Seam do. They always make sure they have a way to keep us in line. Most of the time they either send peacekeepers to beat people into obedience, but with some of the 'worst' cases they purposefully reap children to teach the family a lesson." Shock spreads across Blondie's face as the news sinks in. I wonder if she finds it as weird as I do that we were fighting with each other earlier today, and now we're sharing our true feelings toward the Capitol. Opening up to one another for the first time.

"Do you ever wish you could go back to when Panem was founded, and try to change the way things are?"

"Practically every day." I admit. "I am sorry about everything I said. I've been so angry at the fact that Peeta was practically taken to his death two weeks ago, and I kinda lashed out at you. I kept thinking of every small thing that I could blame someone for, someone to let off steam at."

I hear Madge take deep breath before turning back to face me. "Who says you can't vent it all out? Maybe not by shouting, but we both understand what the other is going through right now. Maybe we could talk like this about it again. It seems to work as a safe and nonviolent way to get the pent up feelings of our chests. Who knows, it could help both of us with getting through this."

"A mutual understanding and a venting session?"

"Never mind. The idea was stupid, I shouldn't have said anything." She starts to stand up, but I grab her arm, trying to get her to stay.

"That's not what I meant. I actually think it's a good idea. That way we don't try to rip each other's throats out anymore. Get rid of all of the negative things and try to look on the bright side for once?"

"It sounds even stranger coming from you. But if you're up for it, we could maybe give it a try?"

"It's a deal. And while we're at it, maybe you could teach me how to throw some knives? The snares are good, but still, it would be handy to know how to handle an actual weapon."

"See, that's one thing I don't get. Why do you have a snare line out there?"

I shrug. "It's something I taught myself when I had nothing to do. I know my family doesn't need it, so I typically give it away."

"Just like that?"

"Just like that."

"You know what, you're a lot different than I thought you were, pretty boy." She teases me with a smile on her face. A small towel is thrown into my lap as Madge stands up and continues cleaning windows.

"I can say the same about you, Blondie."

"Why do you insist on calling me that? I have an actual name."

"What, you don't like nicknames?" I smirk. "Besides if you can me pretty boy I deserve the right to call you Blondie."

"Hey, you started it." Madge claims while pointing a bottle of window cleaner (aka water with very little soap) at me in an accusing manner. I return her action and point my bottle at her too. "You wouldn't dare…" I flex my finger. Not enough to squirt window cleaner out, but enough to make Madge's instinct kick in as she squirts me.

"Now, I think you started it this time." I barely finish my sentence when my face gets covered in window cleaner. "Oh, it's on now Blondie." I declare as we start a window cleaner fight. Madge's bottle empties first, and she tries to run away from me and avoid getting squirted. I follow after her, laughing. I don't think I've laughed this much in the past few weeks. I rounded a corner expecting to see Blondie on the other side, but she wasn't there. I turned around to see Madge behind me, holding another spray bottle. Wait, was that new or the same one from earlier?

"That's a decoy isn't it?"

"Only one way to find out." I hesitate a moment. That was my first mistake. In my moment of uncertainty Madge took the advantage and tried to snatch the half full bottle from my hands. I try to jerk the bottle away from her grasp, but I end up losing my footing and fall back onto the floor.

I open my eyes to a cascade of golden stands. It takes me a solid fifteen seconds to realize that both of us fell over and Madge landed on top of me, her blonde hair falling around my face. Her blue eyes are shut (probably from preparing for the impact) but when she slowly opens them, they aren't a piercing color for once. Instead they are a deep and warm shade of blue. I don't know how long we both stayed there, but eventually Madge comes to her senses as she scrambles to get off me. I swear I saw her cheeks turning pink.

"Uh, I think the windows are clean now." The words stumble out of her mouth and Madge has an absolutely mortified look on her face now.

"Yeah, I think we made a pretty good cleaning team. But let's try not to get into detention again, okay? As much as I love you being my cleaning partner, I would really hate doing this every day."

"Agreed. Um, so…"

"So, we should probably get our stuff now." I laugh. I can tell she's extremely embarrassed about the entire falling thing, but I can't help but think of how adorable she is when she's flustered like this.

We both grab our bags from Mrs. Byrd's room after cleaning up the mess from our window cleaner fight.

"See ya tomorrow Blondie."

"Good night pretty boy." I swear I could hear her smile as we left the school and went our separate ways.

**And this chapter is done! I hope you all enjoyed the little Gadge stuff I put in here, I wasn't really planning on it, it just kinda happened. Sorry about any choppiness or grammatical errors. Anyway, please remember to leave a review or favorite or follow the story if you liked it! If possible another 5 reviews before the next update would be great. And if you had any suggestions or ideas for the next few chapters that would be fantastic! Thanks for being so patient, hopefully the next chapter will be up this weekend.**


End file.
